Reconnect:Kingdom Hearts - The Second Darkness
by Star Tours Traveler
Summary: A mysterious group of warriors suddenly start terrorizing the worlds and it's up to Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, and Ven, to put things right. Sequel to Reconnect Kingdom Hearts. Full Summary Inside.
1. Prologue

**Summary:** A mysterious group of warriors suddenly start terrorizing the worlds and it's up to Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, and Ven, to put things right. Sequel to Reconnect Kingdom Hearts. Full Summary Inside.

**Summary (Full): **A few months after the final defeat of Xehanort, a mysterious group of warriors suddenly start terrorizing the worlds and it's up to Sora and Aqua & their Keyblade Apprentices; Riku, Kairi, Terra, and Ven, to put things right while trying to figure out who these strange warriors are. Sequel to Reconnect Kingdom Hearts.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square Enix. Also this is a musical, so I do not own the songs included either.

**Pairings: **(Romantic) Sora/Kairi, Aqua/Ven, Implied Roxas/Namine. (Friendships) Sora/Riku/Kairi/Aqua/Ven/Terra friendship, Implied Roxas/Axel/Xion friendship. There will be others though but no slash.

**Author's Advice: **This story is a sequel to my story "Reconnect Kingdom Hearts" and as such it is suggested that you stop, turn around, and read the aforementioned story before you read this one.

**A/N: **This story has been sitting in a folder on my computer since long before "Reconnect Kingdom Hearts" (Or RKH) was even started. At first it didn't even have Aqua, Terra, or Ven in it but now it does. Like I said I don't own the songs in the story either. As in RKH I'll signal when a song is about to start by listing the name of the song and what it's from, usually a Disney movie. The lyrics might be changed for the sake of fitting in the story, so when that happens, simply cue up the song on YouTube or whatever media player you prefer if you have it, and follow along while mentally substituting the changed lyrics.

One last thing. For continuity sake with RKH, a number of the ability and Keyblade names used in the story were the Japanese versions. For example instead of Shot Lock in America I used Shoot Lock. The reason for this is because BBS hadn't been released in America at the time. So to avoid awkward name changing, I'm sticking with the names from the first story.

Okay, rant over, enjoy…

* * *

**The Keyblade…**

…a mysterious weapon wrapped in intrigue and smothered with super secret sauce. It is a weapon of either Light or Darkness, dependant solely on the person who wields it. It is said that the Keyblade chooses its wielder, and that the wielder is chosen by the strength of their heart. The Keyblade can also open or seal the keyholes that lead to the hearts of the worlds themselves.

But among the Keyblades, there is one that stands above them all, a Keyblade forged of a heart of pure light, and a heart of pure darkness. A Keyblade that wields the very power of Kingdom Hearts itself…

…the X-Blade…

The X-Blade has been forged twice in the course of recorded history since the worlds split apart. The first was when Ventus, or simply Ven as he was known to his closest friends, once the apprentice of the corrupt Keyblade Master Xehanort, ripped the darkness free from his heart, creating a being made of pure darkness known as Vanitas. Despite the efforts of Ven and his friends Aqua and Terra, Xehanort successfully created the X-Blade using both Ven and Vanitas. The two beings battled each other within their heart, until Vanitas was destroyed but at the cost of Ven losing his heart. Aqua, in an effort to rescue a fallen Terra who had become possessed by Xehanort, sacrificed her Keyblade and armor to save her friend, sending herself into the Realm of Darkness. For ten full years, the three Keyblade warriors remained lost in time…

…But there was still hope…

Sora, a young boy who had unknowingly accepted to carry the remnants of Ven's heart within his own, rose up and defeated Xehanort's Heartless and then a year later he defeated Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort. During these adventures, Sora's friends, the once fallen Keyblade wielder, Riku, and the Princess of Heart, Kairi, eventually gained access to Keyblades of their own and together with Sora, they helped to defeat the Darkness…

…but their work was not finished yet…

Sora soon received a message from King Mickey Mouse, a companion of Aqua, Ven, and Terra's from long ago and also a wielder of the Keyblade, informed Sora of his duty to try and restore the three missing Keyblade Wielders. Sora set out alone on this journey, accidently ending up in the Realm of Darkness where he encountered Aqua. The two managed to escape the Realm of Darkness together, ending up outside the home of King Mickey's former Master, Yen Sid. There the wizard informed them of their mission, that Sora carried Ven's Heart and it was Aqua's duty to train Sora to become a true Keyblade Master. The two set out and after much trials and tribulations, managed to restore Ven to the worlds…

…but in doing so, they had doomed the worlds…

They had unknowingly set in motion, a plan conceived by Xehanort to forge the X-Blade once again but with himself wielding it. To do so, he required a heart of pure light, the heart of a Princess of Heart…Kairi. After being forced out of Terra's body, he possessed Kairi's body, creating the X-Blade and began plunging the worlds into darkness…

…But he had not won yet…

With newfound resolve, Sora, Aqua, Riku, Ven, Terra, King Mickey, and Sora's Keyblade wielding Nobody, Roxas, tracked down Xehanort to outside the door to Kingdom Hearts itself, where they battled the Lord of Darkness for one final time. In the end, the combined efforts of the seven Keyblade Wielders proved victorious as they used the Door to Kingdom Hearts itself and the light within it, to purge Xehanort from Kairi's body, destroying the Lord of Darkness's heart once and for all.

With the X-Blade shattered and Xehanort dead, Light could finally shine through once again. Sora, now a Keyblade Master, returned to his home, the Destiny Islands, with his two new apprentices, his best friend Riku, and his girlfriend, Kairi, leaving Aqua behind in her homeworld, the Land of Departure, with her best friend Terra, and her boyfriend Ven, as her apprentices…

…It has been three months since that day…

* * *

**In an Unknown World…**

It was a world covered in endless dunes of brown sand with towering brown mesas and cliffs. It had been forgotten and it was preferred by many that it be left this way. However, it wasn't completely forgotten, as a lone armored figure approached in silence towards a towering castle sitting alone in the shadows of the mountains. The figure stopped and looked up at the castle, his blue eyes glancing over its design.

The warrior looked like a knight, clad head to toe in red armor with yellow or black lining. He had a set of khaki coverings over and around his legs, opening slightly at the front in the shape of an A. His helmet had two tall yellow metal horns pointed straight up, and the helmet covered all but his face, confining his long white hair to a space behind his neck but blocked by a tall collar. He carried a triangular shield on his left arm and a short sword with yellow spiked grip and a red tassel at the end of the hilt in his right hand.

The castle, however, was simple. A large brown stone building that looked as if it had been carved into the mountain itself. There were several small towers and minarets around the castle but it looked heavily disused. The warrior sensed the arrival of another like him and returned his gaze forward. Before him stood a figure in a black robe and hood. The warrior recognized the uniform but couldn't place where or how. The figure turned and beckoned for him to follow. The warrior did not hesitate, following him inside the castle through the front doors. Past the doors he entered into a single great domed room with only a single beam of light emanating from a hole in the ceiling, casting large black shadows against the walls. The figure ahead of him vanished into these shadows.

"Is this it then?" A man's voice asked.

"I hope so." A woman's voice replied in an obviously bored tone.

"We are few indeed. I'm amazed we were even able to find the third." A teenaged man's voice said.

"Do not speak of me as if I were not present." The warrior finally spoke.

"Oops! Sorry new guy!" a young girl's voice giggled.

"Be nice, Keep. He's only just arrived. We should at least be friendly." Another man's voice said to the girl's in a gentle tone.

"Okay Ion. I will." the girl's voice replied.

"I hope you will forgive me for being so straightforward, but you're rather handsome." A woman's voice said gently, the smell of flowers drifting through as she spoke.

"I would appreciate being told where I am and why I'm here." The warrior said.

"Our apologies. We did not mean to be so rude, brother." A man's voice with deep tones said. The Warrior arched his eyebrow.

"Brother?" the warrior asked.

"That is a discussion for another time. We have other matters to deal with." A woman's voice said with an air of authority.

"Then by all means, shall we get on with it?" A gruff man's voice said. The room started to illuminate and slowly revealed eleven figures standing about the room, either staring at him or nothing at all.

The first figure, ahead and to the right was the black hooded figure from before. To his left there was a short young boy with spiky teal colored hair in a black shirt with silver lining, and a pair of strange looking silver metal "wings" on the seams of his shoulders. The "feathers" of the wings were square spaces that made them look like the square battlements on a castle wall. The boy had baggy white shorts, with more of the wings on black metal plated boots. Slung over his right shoulder was a large five pointed Shuriken with a hole in it that allowed him to easily put his arm through it and carry it on his shoulder. Tattooed on the boy's right shoulder was a strange symbol shaped like two feathers twisted around on a gust of wind.

To his left and the warrior's 3-o'clock was a man in his late teens with a black scarf and hood over his head, hiding his eyes and hair but not his face. The hood flared backwards near the top, giving the illusion of having batwings. He wore a black jacket with a purple diamond shaped gem on the chest and two gray chain patterns down the front, running parallel to each other along the zipper before splitting off to the sides at the end of the shirt. He also wore long black pants with a variation on the gray chains spiraling down both legs of his pants. That wasn't the odd part about him though.

Crisscrossing in an X at the front of his waist and held together by a single black crown shaped buckle with three points on the crown, was a long and actual gray chain that ran to his left, the gray gradually becoming whiter and shinier until it finally connected to a young girl around three or four years old with shoulder length snow white hair with blue and yellow ends. She had a small tiara around her head, though all you could see of it was the crown jewel due to her hair. The crown jewel itself was an evenly level four point star that appeared to be overlaying a smaller white one turned like an X. The larger star was blue in the center and yellow on the ends while the smaller one was simply white. She wore a simple silver chain necklace with two metal hearts dangling from it. She wore a simple white kimono over a pair of white shorts and no shoes. The chain running between her and the other man also wrapped around her waist like an X but was held together by small star shaped buckle with five points.

To her left and the Warrior's 5-o'clock was a balding middle aged man with only a ring of brown hair around the edges of his head and a long Fuu-Manchu moustache in a simple khaki kimono, hakama, black obi sash, and a tattered and torn white haori with faded red lining. On the back of his haori was a symbol known to Keyblade wielders as the Mark of Mastery.

To his left and the Warrior's 7-o'clock was a young teenaged man with a short black hair and a scarred face. He wore what appeared to be a cloak that hid the rest of his attire. The cloak looked like a purple and red dragon's wing on his right while the left was a long white angel's wing. He had a hideous looking eye patch over his left eye on his otherwise handsome face. The eye patch looked like it was a gaping open cat-like eye with a vivid cyan color as a part of a dusty red and purple scaled dragon like background.

To his left and the Warrior's 9-o'clock on the other hand was someone who was the total opposite. A strikingly gorgeous young woman in her mid twenties adorned with flowing blue hair that looked as if it were a crashing wave on the shore. She had a floor length dress that hid her feet completely and adorned with a myriad of different flowers and even a butterfly or two that seemed to be alive. Her dress sleeves exposed her shoulders and opened up in a bell shape near the hands. She also had a few flowers in her hair and her eyes sparkled like the reflection of light on the water. She had a small hairpin shaped like a yellow star shaped fruit with two small green leaves on the second and fifth points.

Once again contrasting, to her left and the Warrior's 10-o'clock was another woman, about the same height and age, but starkly different. She had shoulder length black hair and empty silver eyes. She had a sleeveless white dress that went down until about halfway down her thighs and had black thorn like decorations on it that looked like something akin to Xemnas's final form. Spiraling from her shoulders down past her hands were long decorative tassels shaped like nobody thorns. Dangling from a black and white checkered choker around her neck was a simple metal X.

To the Warrior's 11-o'clock was a tall, muscular looking man in his late forties with curly brown hair with matching goatee. He wore a dirtied brown tank top under a battered breastplate of brown colored metal. On his arms was a pair of long and bulky brown gloves that reached the middle of his upper arms. He had baggy dark brown pants with large muddied black boots. He was also leaning on a large grey war hammer. He had a tattoo on his right shoulder that looked like a reddish rock fragment with brown armor plating.

Finally, dead ahead of the warrior was a woman in her mid to late twenties with long shoulder length grey hair and blue square wire framed glasses over her aqua colored eyes. She had a stern looking expression and a piercing glare that was completely contrary to her attire. She wore an eloquent blue dress shirt with raindrop shaped cufflinks. She had on a pair of long yet tight knee length dark blue pants and a pair of tall black socks with white and blue tennis shoes. On her shirt was a set of unique inward crescent shapes with multiple strange looking rivets in each crescent.

He could tell there was at least one more figure in the shadows behind the woman but he could not see anything of it.

"I can sense that we are all of similar blood and heritage. I know what I am and what each of you are. But how and why we are here like this is unknown to me." The warrior said as he looked each of the others over.

"We shall explain that to you in time, brother." A deep male voice said behind the warrior. The warrior turned and saw, standing behind him, between the fifth and sixth figures, was a large man, covered head to toe in silver metal armor with blue jewels, a dark blue cape, and a helmet with two, long silver horns that noticeably extended past his shoulders. His face was completely hidden by the helmet, but there was a pair of glowing yellow eyes peering out from within the helmet's eye slits.

"Brother?" the warrior asked.

"You and I are brothers by blood. Don't you feel the connection?" the silver armored warrior asked.

"I do, but I sense darkness lingering around you, but not possessing you." The warrior said.

"I sense the light lingering around you in the same manner, brother." The silver warrior said.

"Then why are we here? What is our purpose?" the warrior asked, turning to look at all of the different people gathered there.

"We know our born purpose. Don't you know yours?" the flowered woman asked sweetly.

"I know mine, milady, but I do not know my purpose now as we are each standing here, nor do I know the purpose of this gathering." The warrior asked.

"We are gathered here to determine our purpose since we each gained these human forms. That is why we are gathered here." The hooded figure said.

"Do we have any answers yet then?" the warrior asked.

"We have none." The cloaked teenager said, closing his lone visible eye.

"Then do we have any leads on where to find the answers?" the warrior asked. The little girl then giggled.

"He sure asks a lot of questions, huh, Ion?" the girl asked the man attached to her. The man smiled sweetly down at her and chuckled slightly.

"He does, doesn't he?" The hooded man replied.

"We each possess fragmented memories of our origins. We remember the first time we manifested in a physical form and where. I suggest we search the worlds we originated from, and examine the hearts of those worlds to find the answers." The balding man said.

"Some of us cannot remember those worlds." the silver warrior said.

"Why the hearts of the worlds?" the warrior asked.

"Because the Heart of a World possesses vast and untold knowledge within it. Accessing it will provide us with answers or clues as to how we came to be." The balding man replied.

"What of the Heart-Bound? What if they discover us?" the burly man asked.

"HAH! Those guys are nothing compared to me! I'm so powerful I could beat 'em all easily with my hands tied behind my back!" the boy declared boastfully, earning a disdainful look from the grey haired woman.

"Silence, Wind! We do not need your long winded speeches!" the woman said as the boy glared at her.

"You're just jealous of my superiority to you, Rain!" the boy declared, earning an annoyed glare from the woman and the burly man.

"Oh would you just shut up already!" the burly man shouted at Wind.

"Sha! Mind your anger." The cloaked boy shouted, his cloak flaring up slightly, briefly revealing a skin tight black bodysuit with a sort of white skirt around the waist.

"Wind, dear, we know you are superior to us, but perhaps if you allowed Rain to speak?" the flowered woman said sweetly as Wind grinned.

"Sure, okay Des." Wind replied, running a hand through his hair.

"Anyway, if the Heart-Bound discover us, it will make no difference. In fact, it might even benefit us if we were discovered by them." Rain said.

"**NO!"** A pair of voices, one male, the other female, shouted from the shadows as a long grey chain lashed out and ensnared Rain by the throat. Rain quickly struggled to pull at the chain as it wrapped around her neck but to no avail.

"**If the Heart-Bound discover your existence, they will attempt to destroy you! Destroy ****them**** before they do so!" **the voices ordered in unison before the chains inexplicably loosened from around Rain's throat and clattered to the floor before disappearing back into the shadows.

"Destroy the Heart-Bound? I kinda like the sound of that." The hooded figure said, holding out its hands and allowing a pair of glowing blue swords to appear in its hands.

"They are irrelevant to our survival. There are others who can take their place." Ion said as Keep looked worried. Rain nodded in agreement.

"Then let us depart for the worlds of our origin, and learn what we can from the hearts of the worlds themselves. Dark, you shall go with your brother. Ion, you and Keep will go." Rain said as the four people in question nodded.

"Des, you and Beco will be a pair." Rain said as the flowered woman and nobody woman both nodded.

"Sha, I don't do this to you intentionally but…you and Wind shall go." Rain said hesitantly as the burly man's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"YAH-HOO!" Wind cheered as Sha started sweating.

"You've-…-got to be kidding me!" He groaned.

"They're not my orders, Sha." Rain said regretfully as Sha sighed in defeat.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Dawn, you and I are a pair as well." Rain said as the cloaked teen nodded.

"Which leaves Seeker and I. But we have received separate orders from the master." The balding man said as Rain nodded.

"Yes, I know. Then that means the rest of us should leave immediately." Rain said as five Corridors of Darkness opened up in a semi-circle. Soon all of the others were entering their Corridors and disappearing, the Corridors closing up behind them.

"We have our orders. Let us go brother." Dark said as he walked past the Warrior towards the last remaining Corridor.

"Wait, your name is, Dark?" the Warrior asked as Dark turned and nodded.

"Yes. It is because you and I are the same, both in name and origin, yet while you are of the light, I am of the Darkness. Perhaps Light would be a fitting name for you, brother." Dark said as the Warrior pondered.

"I already have a name. But seeing as how we have the same name, Light would suit me well as a nickname." The Warrior said as Dark nodded.

"Then let's go brother. Your world of origin lies beyond this passage." Dark said as they both walked into their Corridor, unaware of what lay on the other side.

(Music Cue: Sanctuary (Orchestral Version) – Utada Hikaru)

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**Star Tours Traveler Presents…**

**...a Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction…**

…**Inspired by the Kingdom Hearts Franchise created and owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company…**

…**A Sequel to the highly reviewed Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction: Reconnect Kingdom Hearts…**

_**Kingdom Hearts: The Second Darkness**_

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**End Chapter 1.**

**Please R&R…**

I own all of the characters revealed in the first chapter (to a degree). I'll explain what I mean later on. By the way, if anyone with a Deviant Art profile wants to try their hand at drawing any of them, I'd like to see what you guys come up with, just please let me know if you decide to give it a shot, and send me a link when you're finished. However there are at least three characters that are based off of other pre-existing characters from other franchises. I'll explain later in the story.


	2. Masters & Apprentices

**The Land of Departure…**

…a world once consumed by Darkness, once the twisted Castle Oblivion, but then restored following the defeat of Xehanort. It is a world where legends are made, a world where Keyblade Masters are trained…and today is no exception…

Laying on his back in the grass in a large recreation area lay the Keyblade Apprentice Ventus, or Ven as his friends call him. He was snoozing in the grass until he thought he heard something. He quickly sat up and looked around curiously. He saw nothing out of the ordinary so he shrugged and lay back down, only to see a blue haired face smiling at him from upside down.

"WHOA!" Ven yelped as he sat back up. He turned around on his knees to see Aqua, his Master and Girlfriend bent over with a smile on her face, giggling at him.

"Give me a break Aqua, can't a guy get some sleep around here?" Ven asked as Aqua stood up straight, the white haori with red lining resting lightly on her shoulders.

"Ven, you useless sleepyhead. We don't have time for naps. We've got to get this place ready. They'll be here any second now." Aqua replied as Ven shrugged.

"Oh come on. You know he's seen the castle in much worse condition." Ven said as Aqua sighed and turned towards the castle.

"I know but…I just want to make a good impression. He did carry your heart for over ten years after all." Aqua said as Ven climbed to his feet.

"Yeah but I've cleaned my room about three times already today. I don't think my clothes can stand another round in the washing machine." Ven said as Aqua giggled.

"You're exaggerating…you are exaggerating right?" She asked worriedly as Ven rolled his eyes with a smile and nodded.

"You worry too much Aqua. He's not going to care how the castle looks. The others won't either, trust me on that." Ven said as Aqua sighed and smiled in defeat.

"You're right. I guess I am overreacting a little." Aqua said as Ven shook his head.

"Nah. You're just fine." Ven said as they started heading into the castle. Aqua blushed at his comment, placing her hand over her mouth for a moment.

"Thanks Ven." She said. They then saw Terra approaching from the castle. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"Terra, what's wrong?" Aqua asked. Terra caught his breath but smiled at them.

"They're here!" Terra said as Aqua and Ven looked at each other, excited smiles on their faces before they each made a run for the courtyard. When they arrived they saw three streaks of light barreling down towards the courtyard. They then saw them, three Keyblade Riders, each with an armored figure. The lead in the group was a figure riding a Keyblade Rider like a skateboard but with black, red, and yellow armor that looked like Ven's. Even the Keyblade Rider itself looked like Ven's but with the same color scheme as the armor.

The second figure wore armor that looked almost exactly like Terra's except it was black, yellow, and white instead of the brown, red, and gold. This figure was riding his Keyblade Rider like a motorcycle, but it had two large purple dragon wings swept out ward in a sort of V shaped pattern while a single white dorsal mounted Angel wing sat behind the driver. The rest of the rider was colored in a purple, white, and red scheme.

The third figure was a female, wearing armor quite similar to that of Aqua's. The difference was that there was not a single dark color anywhere on her armor; instead it was solid white with gold or silver lining. On the top of her helmet was a shining white gold crown, affixed to the helmet. She rode her Keyblade Rider more like a surfboard than a skateboard, and the Keyblade Rider reflected this in its design. It was a simple oval shape but with a number of flower decals and designs on it. It was even leaving a trail of red, pink, and white rose petals behind as it flew.

The three Keyblade Riders hovered down into the courtyard before suddenly disappearing and allowing their riders to stand on their feet. In a flash of light the armor on all three warriors disappeared. Before Aqua, Ven, and Terra, stood Riku, Kairi, and Sora. Sora had on a white haori with aqua colored lining, revealing him to be a Master. Riku and Kairi had small metal shoulder guards on their left shoulders.

"Welcome to the Land of Departure everyone." Aqua said with a smile as Riku and Kairi bowed and curtsied respectively, to her.

"Thank you Master Aqua." The two replied in unison.

"Oh come on guys no need for formalities like that. You can just call me Aqua." Aqua said before turning her attention to her former apprentice.

"Hey Aqua! How've ya been?" Sora asked as Aqua smiled back at him.

"Pretty good, Master Sora." Aqua said as Sora adjusted his haori.

"So where are we staying?" Riku asked.

"We've prepared rooms for each of you. Terra and Ven will show you two to your rooms." Aqua said, pointing to Riku and Kairi.

"What about me?" Sora asked as Aqua crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're in the Master Wing with me." Aqua replied.

"Really? Cool." Sora said as they started walking inside. They entered into the main hall of the castle, and immediately Riku and Terra, and Ven and Kairi, broke off in separate directions while Aqua and Sora walked on towards a single large hallway.

"So how've you been Sora? I haven't seen you since the Induction Ceremony to get Riku and Kairi their armor a few months ago. Things okay on the Islands?" Aqua asked as Sora put his hands behind his head in his relaxed pose.

"Yeah, things are fine. Tidus, Wakka, Vaan, Penelo, Selphie, Hope, Serah, and Snow all say hello by the way." Sora replied.

"What about Serah's tough older sister Lightning? Or was it Claire?" Aqua asked with a smirk as Sora laughed.

"She says hi too, but she told me to tell you while she was beating up Snow again." Sora replied, causing Aqua to laugh. Finally they reached the end of a long corridor with three large double doors at the end in a large circular domed room.

"Well here we are, the Master Wing Dormitories. This is where Master Eraqus stayed when he was here. The room with the lock on it was his." Aqua explained, pointing to a door with the gold outline of a keyhole over it.

"Why is it locked?" Sora asked as Aqua grimaced slightly.

"Terra, Ven, and I agreed that, to honor Master Eraqus's memory, that we would lock his room and never go inside unless absolutely necessary." Aqua said as she glanced down slightly, quietly remembering her late Master.

"Oh. I'm sorry Aqua." Sora said as Aqua took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"Anyway, that's all in the past. So this is your room here." Aqua said as she walked over to a door and opened it revealing a modestly sized room. There was a Captain's bed against the wall with a window by it. A large wooden desk sat next to the bed with a lamp and alarm clock on top of it. At the foot of the bed was an open wooden footlocker. Sitting against the wall, opposite the desk was a large bookshelf filled with various books of all sorts of shapes and sizes.

"Nice place. Kinda like my room back home really." Sora said as he walked inside and looked around.

"My room's the one two doors over, the one with the blue "Girls only sign" on it." Aqua said. Sora furrowed his brow before turning towards her with an inquisitive finger raised.

"But…aren't you the only girl here?" Sora asked as Aqua smirked devilishly.

"You catch on quick. Anyway, if you need some time to get settled, I'll be outside if you need me." Aqua said as Sora shrugged.

"I'm good. All I've got with me is what you see on me so I've got nothing to unpack." Sora said as Aqua chuckled.

"Then let's go see how the others are doing." Aqua said as Sora nodded and followed her out.

* * *

**Elsewhere in the Castle…**

"So, how are you holding up?" Riku asked Terra as they walked back from Riku's room towards the main hall.

"You ask that as if I were recovering from something." Terra said as Riku looked up at him.

"I was referring to your stint as Xehanort's host." Riku said as Terra sighed heavily.

"I try not to dwell on it. It's a memory I'd rather forget." Terra said.

"I know the feeling. I was possessed by Xehanort's Heartless once you know." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"Yeah, I remember you telling me about that. Listen, Riku, I was wondering…" Terra said, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

"About what?" Riku asked.

"I…I was wondering if you would help me deal with this. You were possessed by the darkness too, but yet you seem to deal with it now as if it were nothing. I envy your fortitude and I was wondering if you would help me do the same thing." Terra said as Riku nodded.

"I'd be honored." Riku said before they continued walking on. They entered into the main hall just as Aqua, Sora, Ven, and Kairi, entered as well.

"Well, it looks like we're all settled then. So perhaps it's time we explained why we're all gathered here." Aqua said as the four apprentices gathered together, facing Aqua and Sora.

"You mean there's more besides a friendly visit?" Ven asked.

"Wait, is there going to be a Master's Qualification Exam?" Terra asked suspiciously. Sora and Aqua looked at each other then turned back to the others and shook their heads.

"Sorry, no. I'm afraid the reason for all of our being here, is more than just a friendly visit. Sora and I have been corresponding with each other for a while, you know, discussing everyone's progress, and we thought it would be a good idea if we tried mixing things up a little." Aqua said as the four looked at each other confused.

"What's this all about Sora?" Riku asked.

"Well, to put it simply, Aqua and I are trading apprentices for a while." Sora said, taking all four apprentices by surprise.

"Trading apprentices?" Kairi asked confused.

"Hear me out first, guys. Sora and I have both noticed that some of you haven't been taking your training seriously as of late. We believe part of the problem stems from the fact that we have never established the bond a Master should have with their Apprentices. And that's caused by the fact that we see each other as friends, not that that's a problem, it just kinda makes things a little harder." Aqua explained.

"So to try and fix that, Riku and Kairi will be trained by Aqua, while Ven and Terra will be trained by me." Sora said as the four apprentices looked curious.

"Sounds like a great idea. A little change is good sometimes." Kairi said with a smile.

"Somehow I knew you'd be the first to agree, Kairi." Aqua said with a chuckle.

"Sounds interesting to me." Terra said.

"So when do we get started?" Ven asked.

"In a few hours, we'll start with some group training exercises, but for now let's let everyone get settled with the idea. Besides, we haven't seen each other for three months so why not take the opportunity to catch up?" Aqua asked as everyone looked at each other and shrugged before nodding in agreement.

"You know, the castle looks the same, but it feels a little different than when we first came here, Aqua. Have you done something to it?" Sora asked as Aqua smiled and blushed a little.

"Well, as the new guardian of the world, I did kinda make some alterations. I did my best not to change anything from the original, but I did make some additions, like the garden out back, and the large training area…ooh and the swimming pool and hot springs." Aqua explained, earning an amazed look from Kairi.

"How did you do all that?" Kairi asked as Aqua smiled and shrugged.

"The Keyblade can do more than just seal the keyholes of the Worlds. They can also alter the world as well." Aqua explained.

"You added a hot spring? Good thing I brought my swimming gear." Riku said.

"You do realize that Aqua added it just for you guys, right?" Terra asked as Riku looked at her curiously.

"Seriously?" Riku asked as everyone nodded.

"Just because you're here for some extra training doesn't mean that you can't enjoy yourself a little. It's one of the reasons I made the alterations in the first place." Aqua explained.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but this Princess of Heart is going to check out the place. Anyone care to join me?" Kairi asked as Sora immediately took her by the arm with a large grin, which made Kairi giggle.

"I'll give you all the grand tour, come on." Aqua said as she and the others followed after her. No sooner had they left the main hall, did a Corridor of Darkness open up. From the Corridor emerged, the grey haired woman, Rain, and the cloaked and scarred teenage boy, Dawn.

"This is it?" Dawn asked as he glanced around. Rain nodded silently.

"It is. We must be vigilant. We cannot afford to be detected by the Heart-Bound this early on in our search." Rain said as she put her right index finger and thumb on the frame of her glasses, straightening them as she looked around.

"Where is the Keyhole to this world? It is different then I remember." Dawn said as Rain continued looking around the room cautiously. She then paused when she turned towards the Master's Wing.

"This way, I sense that there is some form of keyhole in this direction." Rain said as she and Dawn started walking through the hall.

**…**

Outside, Aqua led the group into a beautiful garden with an obvious oriental theme. It was surrounded by sand colored walls with red clay tiles on the top of the walls. There was statue of Master Eraqus overlooking a large Koi pond and with a stone footpath leading towards and around the pond. There were several cherry blossom trees scattered around the garden and a small oriental themed gazebo in one of the corners. To Sora it was like stepping into the Land of Dragons again.

"Wow, this place is beautiful." Kairi said in awe.

"Aqua had it made in honor of Master Eraqus. He had a thing for the Land of Dragons." Terra explained.

"That explains why I'm having déjà vu and thinking I'm in the Land of Dragons somehow." Sora said as Aqua smiled down at him.

"You've been there?" Aqua asked as Sora and Riku both nodded.

"Yeah. Earlier this year even. It was during the whole Organization XIII crisis." Riku explained.

"Oh yeah, you were there too." Sora said as Riku smirked at him.

"Come on, there's more to see. Wait until you see the training area." Aqua said, leading them through a Tori styled archway and into a long stone corridor. Finally they entered into what looked like a large arena, not unlike the Olympus Coliseum.

"This is our training area. By using that control panel over there, we can set up the arena for just about any sort of training exercise we may want or need." Aqua explained, pointing to an elevated circular tower on the edge of the arena closest to the castle.

"I take it that's where we Masters watch huh?" Sora asked as Aqua shrugged.

"Sometimes. Depends on who's practicing at the moment." Aqua replied.

"It's pretty handy. It uses almost the same principles as the Mirage Arena, capable of spawning Heartless or Nobodies." Terra added, earning shocked looks from Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

"Say what?" the three asked in unison as Aqua face palmed.

"Terra, you didn't explain it right. They're not real Heartless or Nobodies. They're fakes. Like Terra said, the arena uses almost the same principals as Mirage Arena, creating the illusions of various terrains for us to fight in and illusions of enemies for us to fight." Aqua explained, calming the three down.

"Oh, well that makes sense." Riku said.

"Way to go on messing up the explanation there Terra." Ven snickered, causing Terra to roll his eyes.

"Yeah-yeah, laugh it up, Ven." Terra groaned.

"Come on guys, I'll show you the pool and hot springs next. Then we can-…" Aqua said before she suddenly froze midsentence. A confused and suspicious expression then appeared on both hers and Riku's faces.

"Something up, Aqua?" Ven asked as Aqua and Riku both turned towards the castle.

"I dunno. I feel like there's something wrong. Like something is inside the castle." Aqua said as she and Riku took a step towards it.

"You too? I wonder what it could be." Riku said as they both looked up at the castle.

"I don't feel anything. What about you Kairi?" Sora asked worriedly.

"Me neither." Kairi replied.

"I don't sense anything." Terra said as Ven shrugged and pointed at Sora, Kairi, and Terra with his thumbs.

"I'm with them." Ven added as Aqua and Riku started heading towards the castle.

"Guys, just humor me and let's check it out." Aqua said as the others shrugged and started following after her.

* * *

**End Chapter 2…**

**Please R&R.**


	3. Before the Work Begins

Rain and Dawn reached the circular room where the doors to each of the Master's chambers were. They immediately noticed the locked door with the Keyhole on it.

"Is this it? Is this the Keyhole?" Dawn asked.

"I cannot tell for certain. I can tell that it is a Keyhole but as to whether or not it's the keyhole…I guess there's only one way to find out." Rain replied as Dawn nodded.

"You proceed then, I shall stand watch." Dawn said as Rain nodded and turned to the keyhole before her. She approached the keyhole and pressed her hand to it. Almost instantly the keyhole started glowing with blue light. Dawn watched her silently before he sensed something and turned to look down the hall. His eye patch suddenly blinked and started glowing with yellow energy. It suddenly stopped and a look of panic swept his face.

"Rain, they're coming!" Dawn said quickly as Rain grimaced.

"I've almost got it opened. This would be much easier if I were in my true form." Rain replied. Finally the keyhole vanished completely and the door swung open slightly.

"This…this isn't it! It's only sealing this room!" Rain said in horror.

"We've been had!" Dawn replied.

"We don't have time to debate! Quickly, follow me!" Rain said stretching out her hand, causing a large strange imploding sphere of pulsating energy to appear nearby.

"Through the portal! Quickly!" Rain said as they both ran into the portal, disappearing before the portal closed behind them, leaving only the open door to Master Eraqus's room. The six Keyblade wielders soon entered the wing, and noticed the opened door.

"Master Eraqus's room! How did the door get opened?" Aqua asked in shock as she, Ven, and Terra hurried to the door and looked it over carefully.

"Uh, someone simply opened it?" Riku asked innocently.

"They couldn't have. I locked it with my Keyblade. It would take another Keyblade to unlock it." Aqua replied as everyone looked at each other.

"Are you sure you couldn't have simply unlocked it while you showed Sora to his room?" Kairi asked.

"She couldn't have. Neither of us even summoned our Keyblades while here." Sora replied.

"Then how did it get opened?" Terra asked.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Ven said as he pushed the door open even more, revealing the darkened bedchamber with everything inside, covered with dusty drop cloths. The lone window to the outside was boarded over.

"So this was Master Eraqus's room?" Sora asked as the three senior Keyblade wielders nodded.

"Yeah. This was his room back when he was alive. We sealed his room in his memory. I feel like we're defiling his memory simply by setting foot in here." Terra said as Riku pulled the drop cloth off of an old oak desk next to the bed. The desk appeared to have a closed book lying atop it with red hard leather covering and the Mark of Mastery seal in the center of the cover.

"What's this?" Riku asked as he reached for it but his hands were swatted away by Terra.

"Hands off. This is staying in Master Eraqus's room." Terra warned, but Aqua side stepped him and picked up the book.

"I don't remember there being a book out on the desk when we sealed the room." Aqua said as she looked at the book carefully.

"That's because everything was already covered before we decided to seal the room." Ven added.

"He's right. We found the room exactly the way we found it just a second ago." Terra said.

"So what do you suppose that book is?" Kairi asked.

"Only one way to find out." Aqua said as she carefully opened the cover and saw, written on the very first page, in Eraqus's handwriting, was the following message…

"_Aqua, Terra, Ven…_

_If you are reading this then, that means one or more of you have achieved the rank of Master. I have recorded in this book, my life's experiences as a Keyblade Master. I hope that you take to heart, everything I have written. It is my life's work. Within the pages of this book are secrets that my master handed down to me, and that I have thus handed down to you. These secrets concern Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblades, the worlds, and more. It is imperative that you keep this book close to you at all times. It contains knowledge that, within the wrong hands, could cause great trouble._

_While this book is my life's work, it is not my greatest work. No, my greatest work is the three of you. I know that each of you will become great Keyblade Masters in your own rights. I have looked after the three of you as if you were my own children and that the three of you have made me very proud. No matter how dark things might become, my pride in the three of you will never wan._

_May the light forever fill your hearts._

_Eraqus."_

The six stood in silent awe as they finished reading the message.

"Master." Terra whispered to himself as he placed a hand on his heart in silence.

"This…this was his final testament. All of his knowledge, bound within this book." Aqua said as she held the book close to her heart.

"Then it's only fitting that you hold onto it Aqua." Sora said as Aqua looked at him surprised.

"Sora's right. You're the ranking master here, Aqua. You should be the one who holds onto it." Riku added.

"I'll hold onto it…but I'm not keeping it to myself. That would be a terrible thing to do with something so valuable. It would be a waste of the master's knowledge. I need to share it." Aqua said as she handed it to Terra. As soon as he took hold of it however, a metal binding appeared between both covers, sealing them.

"What the-?" Terra asked confused. He handed it to Ven but the lock remained.

"How come we can't open it?" Ven asked confused. He handed it to Kairi, but it still remained locked.

"Well it doesn't have anything to do with the light or darkness of the heart of whoever is holding it." Aqua said as Kairi handed it to Sora, but when he took hold of it, the lock immediately popped open.

"Okay so, maybe it has to do with whether or not someone is a master. It was probably placed under a spell by Master Eraqus to only open for true masters of the Keyblade." Riku said as Aqua nodded in agreement.

"It makes sense. That way, any apprentices that get a hold of it can't cheat with it." Aqua said, taking the book back.

"Oh come on, Aqua. Which of us would cheat?" Ven asked. All eyes turned towards Terra.

"Oh thanks for the vote of confidence." Terra said sarcastically, crossing his arms and causing the others to start laughing.

"Relax Terra, we were only kidding." Aqua said as Terra rolled his eyes.

"Well, now that we've had the grand tour, do we want to take some time to relax, or do we want to go ahead and get started?" Sora asked.

"You guys go ahead and relax. I'm going to do some research. We can start training when we're all refreshed." Aqua said as she started down the hall.

"Um, you need any help?" Sora asked.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just heading to the library." Aqua said over her shoulder as she continued down the hall, leaving the others to themselves.

"So…what do we do now?" Terra asked, the other four almost simultaneously smiled knowingly.

**…**

"BONZAI!" Ven shouted as he cannon balled into the large pool, which was conveniently shaped like a keyhole. He was only wearing a pair of black swimming trunks with teal colored lining at the ends of the legs.

"HEY! Watch the splash zone Ven!" Riku shouted, shielding himself from the water. He was wearing a pair of black and yellow trunks of his own as he floated on his back in the shallow end of the pool.

"Can't help it! The bigger end of this pool was made for cannonballs!" Ven replied as he swam for the ladder to climb out of the pool. Kairi was lying on one of the poolside chairs, reclined in the shade of an umbrella in a tasteful pink two piece with a red heart decal on the chest. She had a pair of pink framed, novelty sunglasses on over her eyes as well.

"Kairi, are you asleep?" Terra asked as he paused with a towel slung over his shoulder. He was wearing only a pair of tan colored trunks with red lining around the ends of the legs.

"No, I'm awake." Kairi replied.

"I don't quite understand something Kairi. You live on a beach world, so how come you choose now to just sit by a pool and recline in the warmth of the day like this?" Terra asked, sitting down next to her, but not reclining.

"I…I don't really know." Kairi said with a shrug. Terra noticed Ven and Riku had started a splash fight, trying to create the bigger waves against each other.

"I guess the change of scenery could do that to ya. You're in a different world, so you decide to indulge a little. Can't say as I blame ya." Terra said as he stood back up and continued on his way to the hot springs. Finally Riku paused from his splash war and looked around.

"Hey, there's someone missing from all this." Riku said as Kairi sat up and looked around, raising her sunglasses to see.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, there is a distinct lack of goofy kids with clown shoes out here." Terra said.

"Where is Sora, anyway?" Ven asked. The Keyblade Master in question, was actually back in the Master's Wing, where he found Aqua carefully looking over the door to Eraqus's room. Clipped to her waist was Eraqus's book.

"Aqua? Is there something wrong?" Sora asked as Aqua sighed heavily, not even turning towards him.

"I don't know. I've looked this door over it seems like fifty times already but I can't find anything that can explain how it came unlocked." Aqua replied as Sora looked thoughtful.

"Do you think it could have come unlocked on its own?" Sora asked as Aqua shook her head.

"No, not a chance. I'm the one who put that lock on the door personally so I'm the only one who can open it. Terra and Ven have tried but the door won't open for them. We were the only ones in this wing of the castle before I felt drawn here so it couldn't have been any of us." Aqua said as Sora looked up at her curiously.

"Yeah, you and Riku both felt that way while Terra, Ven, Kairi, and I didn't feel anything." Sora said as Aqua sighed in frustration.

"What was that feeling anyway? It felt somehow familiar, like I've felt it before and that I would know what it is." Aqua said as Sora put his hands behind his head in his usual relaxed pose.

"Maybe you're too stressed Aqua. Perhaps the hot springs will help you out." Sora suggested as Aqua sighed again.

"I guess maybe I'm reading too much into this. Maybe you're right, Sora, maybe I am stressing too much about this." Aqua said as she headed for her room, leaving Sora to himself. It wasn't even a full five seconds before Sora was pondering the door.

"Hmm…I wonder." Sora said as he stretched out his hand and summoned his Keyblade. He quickly closed the door, causing the keyhole to reappear over it as if it had been resealed automatically. He then aimed his Keyblade at the door, causing the circle of blue energy to form around the tip before firing a beam of matching blue energy at the lock. The second the beam hit the lock, a sudden surge of energy flew back along the beam and knocked Sora onto his back.

"I meant to warn you about the kickback!" Aqua yelled through the door.

"Thanks for the warning." Sora said as he climbed onto his feet. He then headed into his room and quickly changed into his swimming trunks. Soon he and Aqua were walking down the hall, Aqua in a dark blue and grey wetsuit top and matching bikini bottoms with an open blue kimono around her with a beautiful crashing wave pattern on it, and brown sandals on her feet. Sora was simply in a pair of red trunks with black lining and with a towel around his neck.

"So, what do you think caused the door to open itself, Aqua?" Sora asked.

"I haven't the slightest clue." Aqua replied as they continued walking towards the pool and hot springs area, completely unaware that they were being watched by an unknown force.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

On the Destiny Islands, within a small cave covered in chalk drawings, accessible only by a small crawl space, and with a single wooden door against the opposite wall, a Corridor of Darkness opened up, allowing the two armored warriors, Light and Dark to emerge.

"This place feels familiar." Light said as Dark nodded.

"It is the world of your creation, brother. You were first brought into being here." Dark explained as Light looked around carefully.

"I remember. And if I am not mistaken, then this is where the keyhole is hidden." Light said as he turned towards the wooden door.

"Yes, and through it, lies the heart of this world. We must access it to uncover the truths of how we came to be created in this form." Dark said as Light ran his hand over the door.

"So I must open the keyhole and find out what information the heart of this world possesses regarding our creation?" Light asked.

"Your creation. I was not born here. Every piece of knowledge you gain will help the others learn of their creation as well as yours." Dark explained as Light looked and saw the world's Keyhole starting to appear in a blue outline on the door.

"But…aren't there consequences to opening the keyhole? I know there is, but I cannot remember." Light said as he put his hand do his helmet in thought.

"You concern yourselves with the consequences, but doesn't that urge to know how we came to be this way, overcome your concern, brother?" Dark asked as Light looked at the door curiously. Finally he took a deep, cleansing breath.

"You're right…it does." Light said, extending his hand to the door, pressing it against the keyhole, causing the keyhole to glow with a bright blue light before slowly opening and revealing a large glowing pink heart within the center of an otherwise empty black chamber. Light closed his eyes as he started to glow with a white aura, the heart doing same. Finally Light and the heart stopped glowing.

"I have what we came for. Let's go." Light said as Dark turned and opened a large spherical portal of pulsating purple and black energy before turning back to Light.

"After you, brother." Dark said as Light glanced at the heart for a moment. He was about to reach for it but Dark grabbed his arm.

"We have accomplished our task. We must report to the others what we have found." Dark said as Light hesitated for a moment before complying and walking into the portal silently. Dark turned towards the heart as he started glowing with a rising purple and black aura, before casting down a small sphere of black energy to the ground, and where it hit, appeared a squirming black, yellow eyed, Shadow Heartless.

"Consume this world in darkness." Dark said to the Heartless before walking into the portal, causing the portal to close behind him, leaving the lone Shadow Heartless to gaze up at the sight of the massive heart before it.

**…**

Outside the cave, Tidus, Wakka, Vaan, Penelo, Snow, and Hope, were engrossed in a game of three versus three Blitzball on the beach, as Selphie, Serah, and Lightning watched from nearby.

"They really are having fun down there aren't they?" Selphie asked.

"I wonder how Sora, Riku, and Kairi are doing. I hope Riku and Kairi's training is going well." Serah said as Lightning nodded.

"Sora knows what he's doing. Aqua taught him well. I have every confidence that their training will go smoothly." Lightning said, earning a blank stare from her sister and Selphie.

"Do you always have to use big words?" Selphie asked.

"Claire has been that way for a long time, Selphie. As long as I can remember actually." Serah said, earning a dark glare from Lightning.

"Don't call me Claire. I don't use that name anymore." Lightning replied before she started looking around curiously as if she felt something. A curious look swept her face, which Serah noticed and recognized.

"I know that look, Claire. Something's wrong." Serah said as Lightning pulled out her gunblade, the Blaze Edge and cocked it in its gun form.

"Do you feel that?" Lightning asked. Serah and Selphie looked around curiously before finally, they felt it, a slow but gradually strengthening tremor in the ground beneath them. The waves on the shore even stopped moving all together, falling deathly still. The Blitzball game came to an abrupt halt as the world started shaking beneath their feet.

"What's happening?" Serah asked in a panic as she and Selphie both stood to their feet, struggling to maintain their balance. They then heard Snow shout from the shoreline.

"LOOK!" he shouted, pointing towards the sky as a massive sphere of purple and black energy appeared in the now blackened sky overhead. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"What is that?" Serah asked but Lightning knew.

"The Islands…they're being consumed by the darkness."

* * *

**End Chapter 3.**

I do not own, Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, Vaan, Penelo, Serah, Snow, Hope, or Lightning. They are the property of Square Enix and are each from the Final Fantasy Franchise, although Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie already appeared in Kingdom Hearts.


	4. The Training Commences

The sun was starting to set and the six Keyblade Wielders were now thoroughly refreshed, albeit smelling a little of chlorine. They had changed back into their usual attire and were gathered in the practice arena with the Apprentices lined up in a single file row facing the two masters. From left to right it was Kairi, Riku, Terra, and Ven. Sora was standing to Aqua's left. Aqua had her hands behind her back and Sora had his hands behind his head in his relaxed pose.

"Alright everyone, as I said earlier, we're going to be having some group training sessions while we're all together. While every Keyblade Master must know how to act on their own, it is still very important to learn to work together as a team to accomplish our goals. That's why Masters usually bring at least one Apprentice with them on missions and the like." Aqua explained.

"So Aqua and I have come up with a series of exercises to help." Sora added as Terra and Riku both raised their hands.

"Yes, Riku?" Aqua asked.

"When did you guys find the time to plan all of this? We've only been here for a few hours." Riku said as Terra nodded in agreement.

"What he said." Terra said as Sora and Aqua looked at each other and shrugged. Aqua and Sora both reached into their pockets and revealed their star shaped lucky charms. Aqua had taught Sora how to make lucky charms of his own for himself, Riku, and Kairi. Sora had a Red one, Riku had a white one, and Kairi had pink in addition to her own handmade one that she kept with her at all times, while Aqua, Terra, and Ven still had their old ones.

"We discovered that we can use these to communicate with each other, via D-Link." Aqua said, confusing Riku and Kairi but earning understanding looks and nods from Ven and Terra.

"Oh that's how you did it." Ven said, impressed.

"Question, what's a D-Link?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Shall I explain?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded. She then turned to the younger apprentices. "The D-Link, or Dimension Link, is a method in which a Keyblade Wielder can draw upon the power of another person, gaining unique abilities and powers while maintaining the link in combat. However, when used outside of combat and in conjunction with another Keyblade Wielder, it can also be used to communicate with each other over long distances. In combat, it allows the users to coordinate their attacks more effectively."

"So where do the lucky charms come in?" Kairi asked.

"Consider them, sort of like a pair of telephones all on a single phone line, a party line more appropriately. The link is made between the two charms, allowing the link to be more stable and direct." Aqua explained.

"Okay, now I'm curious. Do you have to have one of these things to pull off a D-Link?" Riku asked, causing Aqua to fall silent in thought.

"Hmm…I've never thought about that before. I suppose in theory you could, but I imagine that it would be very difficult." Aqua replied.

"Alright, that satisfies my curiosity for now. I'm anxious to get this training exercise started." Riku said as the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. Let's get started." Aqua said as she turned to Sora and nodded. Sora quickly turned and ran up a set of winding stairs that led to the control tower for the arena. (Music Cue: I'll make a man out of you – Mulan)

"As Master Eraqus would say, it doesn't matter if you're a guy or girl. You have to be a man at heart to truly understand what it takes." Aqua said as she, Sora, and the apprentices summoned their armor, minus the helmets. Then pair of clay pots appeared on either side of Aqua as she summoned her Keyblade.

_"Let's get down to business, to defeat the Night!"_

Aqua said as she tossed the pots into the air, and smashed them with the Keyblade with one swing before they even hit the ground.

_"Did they send us cowards when we asked for Knights?_  
_You're the brightest bunch I've ever met._  
_But you can bet before we're through,_  
_Mister, we'll make a man out of you."_

Aqua said as she turned and nodded to Sora who pressed a button, causing a large set of obstacles to fade into existence before he leapt down and landed next to Aqua. Then Sora started…

_"Tranquil as a forest_  
_but on fire within._  
_Once you find your center_  
_you are sure to win._  
_You're a mighty, strong, powerful lot_  
_and you sure have got a clue._  
_Somehow we'll make a man out of you."_

The four apprentices almost immediately turned and started running the course...

_"I'm never gonna catch my breath."_

Said Terra…

_"Say goodbye to those who knew me."_

Said Ven…

_"Boy, was I a fool in school for cutting gym."_

Said Riku…

_"Aqua's got 'em all scared to death."_

Sora said, watching from the sidelines…

_"Hope that no one cuts right through me."_

Said Kairi…

_"Now I really wish that I knew how to swim."_

Said Terra. Then Sora started singing as Aqua sang...

Sora: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua: _"We must be swift as the coursing river."_  
Sora: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua: _"With all the force of a great typhoon."_  
Sora: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua: _"With all the strength of a raging fire"_  
Aqua & Sora: _"Mysterious as the dark side of the moon."_

The four reach the center of the arena where a number of dummy Shadow heartless and Dusks appeared and surrounded them as Aqua sang…

_"Time is racing toward us till the Night arrives._  
_Heed our every order, 'n' ev'ry one survives."_

The four apprentices stood back to back as they stared down their enemies and Sora sang…

_"We'll be ready for the rage of war._  
_They'll pack up, go home, they're through._  
_Mister, we'll make a man out of you."_

The four apprentices then remembered what Aqua had explained about the exercise and immediately started backing each other up in fighting, the masters sensing a sudden surge of energy flowing between all four of them as the apprentices sang and the two masters replied…

The Four: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua & Sora: _"We must be swift as the coursing river."_  
The Four: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua & Sora: _"With all the force of a great typhoon."_  
The Four: _"Be a man."_  
Aqua & Sora: _"With all the strength of a raging fire.  
_All: _Mysterious as the dark side of the moon."_

Finally it clicked for the four Apprentices as the Masters joined in the fight, all of them singing together as they fought…

_"Be a man._  
_We must be swift as the coursing river._  
_Be a man._  
_With all the force of a great typhoon._  
_Be a man._  
_With all the strength of a raging fire._  
_Mysterious as the dark side of the mo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-on."_

(End Music)

And with the final note, they defeated the last of the dummy targets. Sora and Aqua turned and smiled at their apprentices with approving nods as they all caught their breath.

"It seems that you all grasped the point of the fight." Aqua said.

"D-Linking. You wanted us to learn to use D-Link with each other to synchronize our attacks and abilities." Riku said as Aqua nodded.

"You've got it. Well done, to each of you." Aqua said.

"I'll bet that would come in handy in a fight." Kairi said as Sora nodded.

"Yeah, it's like helping each other from a long distance." Sora said.

"That's the thing about D-Links. When more than one of us is in a world, we can link with each other during combat and synchronize our attacks while combining our strength to make us all equally as effective. While separate, we can only gain the additional strength but sometimes that's enough." Aqua explained.

"Kinda like how the tier two Command Styles are formed from the bonds in our hearts, right?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"Exactly." Aqua said as Terra glanced at the young Princess of Heart.

"Which reminds me. Where are you two when it comes to your Command Styles?" Terra asked as Riku glanced away and Kairi started lightly kicking the dirt in embarrassment.

"We're not that far along really. We're not Sora; we're simply not advancing as fast as he did." Riku said as Sora sighed. It was a discussion they'd had before.

"I think I'm to blame for that. Having my heart as a part of his own I guess gave him a substantial boost." Ven said as Aqua nodded.

"It makes sense. But do you guys have any access to the Command Styles?" Aqua asked as the two nodded.

"Yeah, we've got the basic tier one styles down alright; we just can't seem to figure out any of our tier two or our tier one unique command styles." Kairi said as Riku glared at her.

"Oh quit being modest, Kairi. You've learned that one tier two, the one you and Sora share because he helped you get it." Riku said with his arms crossed.

"I've offered to help you learn yours, Riku." Sora said as Riku nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, I know, and I appreciate the offer. But I feel like I can get it on my own." Riku replied.

"What about you guys?" Sora asked, turning to Terra and Ven. a sheepish expression swept both their faces.

"We've uh…regressed a little." Ven muttered in embarrassment.

"Huh?" Sora, Riku, and Kairi asked in unison.

"How is that possible? You guys were supposed to be so close to being masters before everything happened all those years ago. How did you guys regress?" Riku asked.

"Having your body possessed and your own heart being overpowered by another, can do strange things to you." Terra said, referring to when Xehanort possessed him.

"And having your heart fragmented for years can cause some memory loss. I also partly blame Namine." Ven said, insulting Kairi and Sora.

"Augh! Ven! How can you blame Namine when she's done nothing to you?" Kairi asked as she put her hand over her heart where Namine was obviously listening in.

"Yeah, what's your problem with Namine?" Sora asked, in Namine's defense on Roxas's behalf.

"Hear me out first! I'm talking about Castle Oblivion!" Ven said quickly, causing Riku and Aqua to immediately understand.

"Oh! Now I get what he's talking about. Namine's manipulation of Sora's memories had a similar effect on Ven. At least in his case he only forgot some of his abilities, that's all." Riku said, as Aqua nodded.

"It makes sense." Aqua said as Terra nodded. Sora and Kairi were noticeably calmer now.

"Oh…yeah. I suppose you're right. Namine's tampering with Sora's memories might have had that affect on you Ven. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Kairi asked as Ven smiled and shook his head.

"Nah. It's no big deal. I'll have it all learned again in no time." Ven said as Terra chuckled.

"Yeah, we both will, especially with the worlds out of danger now that Xehanort is gone for good." Terra said, with a grin.

"With him out of the picture now, there's nothing left to endanger the worlds. We've got it easy now." Riku said as Aqua gave them both a condemning glare.

"I wouldn't be too quick to say that. The worlds will always need us to keep an eye on them. Saying there's nothing left to endanger the worlds is a total falsehood." Aqua said as Terra glanced down at his feet in minor frustration.

"Thanks for that little line, Master Eraqus." Terra mumbled sarcastically.

"What did you just say?" Aqua asked, her eye twitching in annoyance.

"Easy, Aqua. I wasn't talking about you. I remember the Master saying the same thing once. I know where you got the line. I don't like it, but it's the truth so I accept it." Terra said, calming Aqua down quickly.

"Alright, now that we have that out of the way, shall we continue with the next lesson or shall we call it a night?" Aqua asked.

"Let's call it a night, I'm bushed." Ven said as he stretched and yawned.

"Oh come on Ven, you useless sleepy head, you nap all the time." Terra said tauntingly as Ven turned and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Shut up." He replied, earning a competitive grin from the older apprentice.

"Boys, lets save the aggression for tomorrow okay?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.

"Yeah guys, give it a-..." Sora said, suddenly freezing midsentence with a look of pain on his face.

"Sora? You alright?" Aqua asked worriedly, seeing her former apprentice's expression.

"Something's wrong. I can feel it." Riku said, putting a hand on his chest.

"Me too. I don't know what it is but something is happening." Kairi said as she and Sora both put their hands on their respective chests. Terra looked at their expressions and then looked up, scratching his chin in thought, then he spotted something in the corner of his eye, something that made him break out in a cold sweat.

"I know what it is." Terra said, pointing towards the late evening sky where the stars had only just started to appear overhead. Everyone looked up and started searching the sky for a moment before finally noticing what Terra was pointing at, a lone star in the sky, flickering and flashing as if it were struggling to remain alight. In their hearts, they all knew which world that this star represented.

"That-that can't be the world I think it is, is it?" Aqua asked breathlessly.

"I'm afraid so." Terra replied.

"I'd know it anywhere." Ven said before Sora, Riku, and Kairi said in unison…

"The Destiny Islands."

* * *

**Within the Realm of Darkness…**

"Doh, how did I end up here again?" Pete asked as he sat pouting on a rock on the shore of the dark world. He had been picked up by King Mickey after Xehanort's defeat and subsequently banished to the Realm of Darkness again for having sided with Xehanort and Maleficent against the King, Sora, Aqua, and the others. The first time he had been banished there was after he tried to hijack the Million Dreams Celebration in Disney Town, Ten years ago, but Maleficent had helped him to escape. Now he was alone without anyone to bust him out.

"If only Maleficent were here to break me out. I'd do anything to get out of here!" Pete said, on the verge of crying.

"Is that so?" a voice asked from behind him. He immediately leapt to his feet and turned to see a figure shrouded in the black hood and robes similar to those of Organization XIII's members and another man who was a balding middle aged man with only a ring of brown hair around the edges of his head and a long Fuu-Manchu moustache in a simple khaki kimono, hakama, black obi sash, and a tattered and torn white haori with faded red lining. On the back of his haori was a symbol known to Keyblade wielders as the Mark of Mastery.

"Who-who are you guys?" Pete asked as he cowered fearfully.

"Why, we are here to rescue you." The hooded figure said with the voice of a grizzled old man.

"Rescue me?" Pete asked curiously.

"Our master has it on good authority that you are a loyal servant of Darkness, once aiding the evil sorceress, Maleficent, before her untimely demise." The balding man explained.

"Well yeah sure, but she came back once already. Won't she come back again?" Pete asked as the two warriors shook their heads.

"No, her death is now final. However, our master does have some use for you. We are prepared to offer you freedom, in exchange you will begin a campaign to consume the worlds in darkness using the Heartless under your control." The balding man said as Pete tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't see why I can't do that. But what do you guys get out of it?" Pete asked curiously.

"That doesn't concern you. Simply do what you can to plunge the worlds into darkness. We shall also give you the power to defend yourself if necessary." The hooded man said.

"Our master will explain more in person." The balding man said as Pete smiled and nodded.

"Alright bub. You've got yourself a deal. The mighty Pete is on your side." Pete said as the hooded figure turned and opened a large spherical portal nearby.

"Come, Pete, your new master, awaits." The balding man said as Pete marched proudly into the portal with the two figures behind him. The portal closed behind them as soon as they left.

* * *

**End Chapter 4.**

The song above was an altered version of "I'll make a man out of you" from Disney's Mulan, which I do not own.


	5. Shattered Destiny & Meet the Gang

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, and Ven wasted no time in summoning their Keyblade Riders and making a break for the Destiny Islands. As they got closer they saw the world's protective barrier had turned black and was swirling around the islands. All they could do was look on in horror at what they saw as they continued to approach the barrier.

"Brace yourselves! This is going to get bumpy!" Terra shouted as they turned into the swirling barrier, flying against the direction the barrier was moving. Fortunately they managed to break through with little difficulty but what they saw was even more disheartening. All that remained were a few large chunks of the play island floating in midair with absolutely no water around it. Sora and the others set down on the chunk that had the sideways tree and dismissed their Keyblade Riders and the helmets of their armor, looking around in absolute dismay at the sight.

"What happened here? What happened to my home, my island?" Sora asked as they looked for any sign or clue that would explain.

"Sora, where's the Keyhole to the Islands?" Aqua asked as Sora, Riku, and Kairi almost instantly turned and looked at the crawlspace.

"This way, follow me!" Riku ordered as he ran for the wooden bridge. Just as he set foot on it, the bridge suddenly broke beneath him but luckily Riku caught the edge in time.

"RIKU!" everyone shouted as they quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him back up onto the island.

"We can't trust the bridge, it's too unstable!" Ven exclaimed. Terra summoned his Keyblade Rider again and used it to fly over to the main section of the island. The others quickly followed suit and managed to make it over to the island where they dismissed their Keyblade Riders.

"Alright, this is where the keyhole is hidden." Riku said as he led them to the crawlspace. Before he could even begin crawling inside, a large black hand, attached to an equally large and black arm flew out from inside and grabbed him in its clutches. Riku grunted in pain as whatever the creature was tried to crush him to death.

"Hang on Riku!" Sora exclaimed as his and everyone else's helmets reappeared and they summoned their Keyblades. They quickly started hitting the hand with the Keyblades, finally forcing it to open and release Riku from its clutches before disappearing back into the crawlspace. Riku dropped to his knees from the pain.

"Are you alright, Riku?" Kairi asked as Riku nodded and climbed to his feet.

"I'll be fine." Riku said. He then glowed with green energy for a moment, as they all turned to see Aqua casting Curaga on him.

"This should help." She said as Riku nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks." Riku said just before the entire wall around the crawlspace started to crack and crumble.

"MOVE!" Terra shouted as they all clamored to get away from the wall. They made it to the beach just as the wall exploded, revealing a towering Darkside Heartless standing in what used to be the cave where the keyhole was hidden.

"A Darkside?" Aqua asked in shock.

"Looks like we figured out what happened to the heart of the Islands!" Terra said as the Darkside reared back its fist and drove it into the ground creating a thin pool of black and purple energy around it. From the pool suddenly sprouted dozens upon dozens of Shadow and Neoshadow Heartless.

"Uh-oh!" Kairi exclaimed as the heartless started charging towards the six Keyblade wielders.

"Sora! Aqua! You guys deal with the Darkside, we'll handle these guys!" Riku shouted as he, Ven, Terra, and Kairi D-Linked and simultaneously moved in to attack the smaller heartless.

"Right! Let's go Sora!" Aqua said as they cut their way through the small swarm of heartless and towards the Darkside which still had its hand plowed into the ground, continually spawning Heartless from it. The second Sora and Aqua reached its arm; the two Keyblade Masters stabbed their Keyblades through the arm from opposite sides, the tips of the Keyblades meeting in the center of the massive Heartless's arm. Instantly the pool of dark energy dissipated and the heartless stopped coming but there was still a lot of them but they were for the Apprentices. The Darkside attempted to pull its arm free but to no avail, the two masters had it pinned down.

"You're not going anywhere!" Aqua shouted as she suddenly sensed a strange yet familiar connection form with Sora. She knew immediately what it was. Sora had activated a D-Link with her. Sora then turned with one hand still pulling the Keyblade embedded in the Darkside's arm down and stretched his other hand out to the side. In a flash of light, Sora summoned forth the Keyblade Oathkeeper and then turned to Aqua.

"Here! Catch!" Sora shouted, tossing Aqua the Keyblade who caught it with her free hand by the handle.

"I didn't know you could do that, Sora!" Aqua shouted as Sora then summoned Oblivion in his hand.

"Thank Roxas! He's helping!" Sora replied. Aqua turned to look at Oathkeeper and for a brief moment, she saw a semitransparent vision of Roxas with his hands, overlapping her hand as it gripped Oathkeeper. She looked back at Sora and saw a similar image, but instead of Roxas it was a girl in black Organization XIII robes that was the spitting image of Kairi but with black hair, with her hand on Oblivion, but Aqua recognized her.

"Apparently that replica of you is helping too!" Aqua said as Sora nodded. (See A/N at the bottom)

"Let's bring this beast down, master!" Sora shouted as they both aimed the Keyblades at the Darkside which was still futilely trying to free its arm. The two Keyblades started glowing with energy, white with Oblivion and a flowing rainbow colored aura around Oathkeeper. Suddenly Oblivion spawned thirteen clones of itself made of light that each aimed themselves at the Darkside before simultaneously flying into and embedding themselves within the creature. It was one of Sora's Shoot Locks, called Thirteenth Strike.

"NOW AQUA!" Sora shouted as Aqua fired of a sudden wave of multicolored bolts of energy at the Darkside, hitting it head on. She then fired another wave followed by another, each wave hitting the Darkside. It was one of Aqua's Shoot Locks, Rainbow Shower. Suddenly cracks of light started forming on the Darkside from where the Keyblade light clones had hit it. The cracks grew larger and larger until beams of light were shooting out from within. Aqua fired off one final wave of bolts, the combined power of both attacks completely obliterating the Darkside in a brilliant flash of light, releasing a massive pink glowing heart that vanished soon after in a murky purple cloud of energy. With the Darkside gone, Sora and Aqua both turned to the remaining swarm of Heartless, as Oathkeeper suddenly vanished from Aqua's hand in a flash of light along with Oblivion.

"Come on! Let's give them a hand!" Sora said as they quickly joined the D-Link with the other four and joined in the fray. Within seconds the remaining Heartless were defeated.

"Is that it! Is that all of them!" Kairi asked as they suspended the D-Link.

"Yeah! That's the last of them!" Terra said as they caught their breath.

"Then why isn't the world restoring itself?" Sora asked in confusion as he kept expecting the world to start reassembling itself.

"I don't know! The world should be reassembling itself now that we defeated the Heartless that had its heart!" Aqua replied.

"Then something's not right! The last time something like this happened was…was when Organization XIII started collecting the hearts!" Riku exclaimed, earning a shocked look from Sora and the others.

"WHAT? But they're all dead now except for Axel, Roxas, and Xion!" Sora exclaimed.

"I don't know what's going on, but we need to get out of this world before we get sucked into the darkness as well!" Ven shouted as Aqua shivered.

"I do not want to go to the Realm of Darkness again, thank you very much! I go there for what seems like a few hours and I come out eleven years later! I'll pass this time thank you!" Aqua said as she and the others started summoning their Keyblade Riders.

"Come on, we've got to find out if our friends made it out alright!" Kairi exclaimed as they shot off into the sky, breaking free of the world barrier without difficulty.

"Where do you think they are?" Ven asked.

"If Lightning and Snow were around, then chances are they might have been able to get everyone off world in time. They have a means of getting between worlds so it's a possibility." Aqua said as Sora nodded in agreement.

"Hey yeah! Lightning, Snow, Riku, Kairi, and I all came up with a plan for emergencies incase the islands started falling into darkness again! They'd use their power to get everyone off world and to…to Radiant Garden!" Sora exclaimed as they all banked hard to the right.

"Then let's head there and find out what's going on!" Aqua said as their Keyblade Riders took off for Radiant Garden.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Light stood amongst the other strangers within the main hall of the mysterious castle save for the balding man and the hooded one. They all stood staring into a dark corner of hall, with Rain standing a few feet ahead of the rest of them.

"I regret to say that Dawn's and my mission to the Land of Departure was a failure. We found a keyhole but it locked only a single room. I could not sense the Keyhole anywhere else." Rain said into the darkness.

"**Your failure is noted, number two. But your failure was not unexpected. We suspected that a decoy would be put in place, especially when you consider that one of the Heart-Bound is the protector of that world. Your failure is forgiven ****this time****, number two."** The disembodied man and woman's voice said in perfect unison from the shadows as Rain bowed humbly and somewhat fearfully before she backed up into the group behind her.

"**Are there any among you who ****did**** succeed?" **the man and woman's voices asked before Dark approached and fell to one knee.

"My master, I am pleased to inform you that my brother, Light, and I have succeeded in our mission. My brother has touched the heart of the Destiny Islands, as per your instructions my master." Dark explained as Light approached amidst the murmurs of some of the other strangers.

"**What have you found, Light? Share with us, all that you have learned." **The voices instructed.

"I…I do not know what I have learned. I only have small fragments of knowledge that make no sense to me." Light said as the other strangers whispers grew slightly louder. The voices said nothing for a moment before a black chain shot out from the darkness with a hook on the end and wrapped itself around Light's neck, coupling together with the hook, and tightening around it.

"Light!" one of the female strangers exclaimed fearfully, but Light had managed to bring his hand up in time, preventing the chain from strangling him. However the segment of the chain around his neck started to glow with a bright yellow light for a minute before the light suddenly shot up the chain and into the darkness, briefly illuminating a massive and hazardously arranged web of chains attached to two unidentifiable figures in the darkness, dangling in midair with the chains attached to them. The chain around Light's neck suddenly released itself and disappeared back into the darkness. A moment passed before a sphere of black, purple, white, and yellow light appeared in midair, swirling around for a moment before bursting open, revealing a brown hard leather bound book with a lock on it and the symbol of a Keyhole on the cover. The book landed on a small podium that appeared from the floor on the edge of the shadows.

"**This book shall be the vessel which will hold all of the knowledge that each of you collect. The more you find, the more pages will be added to the book. Once it is finished, the lock will open and you each will be able to learn of your origins. For now, everyone but Dark, Sha, and Beco, are dismissed." **The voices said as the man with the hammer and the woman dressed like a nobody, approached the shadow's edge along with Dark. The rest of the warriors turned and walked out of a side door, entering into a large square courtyard. The courtyard was dull and brown like the rest of the castle but the sun was overhead, providing plenty of light.

"Man! I can't believe only one of us managed to find anything!" Wind said in annoyance.

"Don't worry, Wind. You'll find something eventually." The woman dressed in flowers and butterflies said sweetly. Wind turned to her with a confident grin on his face and raised his fist in a mighty pose.

"You know it, Des!" Wind said loudly, causing the little girl, Keep, to start giggling.

"Yay, Wind!" she cheered.

"Keep." Ion said, silencing the girl. She looked up at him as he motioned to a, lost looking, Light.

"Oh, Light, how rude of us, we never have properly introduced ourselves, have we?" Des asked as she and the others turned towards him.

"It's alright. I am new here so I hope you will forgive me for being a little slow on the uptake." Light said as Rain approached, adjusting her glasses.

"Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Rain, the number two person in the group." Rain said authoritatively as Light bowed humbly.

"You are the second in command?" Light asked as Rain nodded.

"Not necessarily. While I report directly to the master, our numbers really have nothing to do with rank. It is merely a method of easy organization, although I suspect that there is a reason we were given our respective numbers. According to the master, you were pre-designated as the third. Our number three." Rain said as Light looked curious.

"I'm number three?" Light asked as the others nodded.

"It was the master's decision. We do not question their decision, especially over such a pointless matter of debate." Dawn, the cloaked teenager, said as he approached.

"I am known as Dawn, the tenth member. Forgive me if I don't shake your hand. It is a little…difficult for me." Dawn said with a bow.

"It is alright. I'll respect your wish." Light said as Dawn nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you." He said as Ion and Keep approached.

"Hyah, Light! I'm Keep! And this is my big brother, Ion!" Keep announced happily as Ion bowed respectfully.

"I am the twelfth member and Keep is the eleventh member." Ion added.

"Brother? You are siblings?" Light asked as Ion nodded.

"Yes. We have been chained together for as long as the two of us have been in this form. We take it as a sign that we are brother and sister." Ion explained as Keep hopped onto his back, her feet using the crisscrossing chains to stand on and her arms around his neck. Des then approached him and curtsied respectfully.

"And my name is Des, the ninth member. I do hope you forgive my straightforwardness but I find you to be very handsome." Des said, blushing profusely before turning around with an excited expression.

"There, I said it! I can calm down now!" Des said to herself as she caught her breath. She then turned back around to face him.

"It is an honor to meet a beautiful woman such as you, Lady Des." Light said, gently taking her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of her palm like a noble knight paying respect to his princess. Des nearly fainted from excitement had Rain not caught her.

"Easy does it, Des. You don't want to pass out again." Rain said as hearts fluttered around Des's head, figuratively speaking of course.

"I don't care anymore, Rain, I'm in heaven." Des said dreamily as Wind shrugged off his large shuriken, allowing it to drop towards the ground where it magically started spinning horizontally at high speed like a helicopter blade before Wind leapt on top of it, his feet hovering mere inches above it before he flew up and over the crowd.

"Saving the best for last huh? I can't say as I blame you. An amazing guy like me needs no introduction! I'm known across the whole universe!" Wind declared boastfully, pointing up towards the sky above his head.

"That blowhard up there is Wind, the eighth member." Rain said, obviously unimpressed, pushing up her glasses. Wind glared down at Rain.

"I see her adoration of me is so strong she needed to say my name." Wind said with a pompous grin.

"You're an annoying airbag, Wind! You never shut up!" Rain replied as he leapt down to the floor, catching his shuriken on his right arm with ease.

"It is an honor to meet you, Wind." Light said as Wind grinned again.

"You're right, it is an honor. Because you are one of the distinguished few who will have known me before I become King!" Wind declared proudly as Rain, Dawn, and Ion groaned in unison.

"**Here we go again." **They grumbled.

"You're going to become a king?" Light asked, confused.

"Yeah, I am. But that's for another time. For now, I've got other important things to do. I'll see ya around, Light." Wind said as he tossed his shuriken down again and hopped on, flying off for another part of the castle.

"You'll have to forgive Wind. He's rather headstrong." Des said kindly.

"So I noticed. But I am curious, who are the others in our group? The ones who the master or masters ordered to remain inside the chamber and the two that had a separate mission than the rest of us." Light asked.

"The man in black robes and a hood is known simply as Seeker, the fifth member. None of us has ever seen his face. The balding man with the haori and the mustache is Mark, the fourth member. The man with the large hammer is Sha, the seventh member. And the woman in white, grey, and black is Beco, the thirteenth member. You already know Dark, as he's known officially, the sixth member." Rain explained.

"Then what about the master or masters? Would it be safe to assume that they are the first member?" Light asked as the others fell silent. Keep even cowered behind Ion's head slightly in fear.

"The master, singular yet referred to in the plural, and the first member, while taking the appearance of two separate beings, one male and one female, are actually one being bound together in a manner similar to Ion and Keep here. The master is the one who called us all here. Seeker, Dark, Sha, Beco, and Mark were the first to answer the master's call and they in turn found the rest of us and brought us here. You however, found your way here of your own accord." Rain explained.

"Then what is the Master's name?" Light asked. Almost instantly those present shushed him fearfully.

"The master's name remains unknown to us. They have never once mentioned their name. Some of us believe that they don't even know their name. They are the most powerful of us all but tends to leave us alone as long as we do what they ask of us. As a result, we have it pretty easy." Rain said as Light glanced over his shoulder curiously, looking at the now closed side door to the main hall, before turning back towards the others.

"One final question. When you referred to my brother, Dark, a moment ago, you said that Dark was his official name. Does this mean that he has another name?" Light asked as the others silently nodded.

"He named himself at first but when we learned of your existence, the master ordered that he be referred to as Dark from that point on." Dawn explained.

"Then what was his self-invented name?" Light asked before Rain answered.

"He went by a simple name, a name that once belonged to a great knight of old legends that existed before the Keyblades, who fell from grace and became an evil servant of darkness. He went by the name…"

"…Garland."

* * *

**End Chapter 5.**

A/N: If you read Reconnect Kingdom Hearts, then you will know that there was a two part chapter where Sora met Xion which allowed Roxas and, indirectly, Axel and Riku, to remember her existence. While never actually meeting within RKH, it can be assumed that Sora told Aqua about Xion, thus explaining how Aqua knows about her.

Now then…

Yes, I have based the character, Dark, off of the original Final Fantasy character, Garland (Final Fantasy I), and yes that means the character, Light, is based off of Warrior of Light from the same game. However I have their Final Fantasy Dissidia appearances and personalities in mind. The reason for this is what I call, the Reno/Axel Effect. To explain…

…Axel, as many of us may notice, behaves, looks, and sounds almost exactly like Reno from Final Fantasy VII (they even share the same voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions). The Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts Mastermind, Tetsuya Nomura, has even stated that he took the same character and put him in a different role and environment so I figured, why not do it again with three more characters? I'm keeping the third character a secret unless you can figure out which of the remaining eleven original characters is based off of a character from another franchise. Hint: The character model is _**not**_ a Square Enix/Disney franchise character.

When I get a reviewer with the correct answer as to whom the OC is and his source character's identity, I'll reveal it to everyone, otherwise, you'll just have to wait until a future chapter to find out.


	6. Radiant Refugees

The six Keyblade wielders burst through the world barrier of Radiant Garden, heading straight towards the Marketplace. As they flew overhead the city, they suddenly flew through a signal flare.

"Whoa! Who fired that?" Ven yelped.

"That would be Lightning! She's trying to get our attention!" Sora replied.

"I'd say it worked!" Terra said as they turned and flew down towards the street outside Merlin's house where Lightning and Leon stood waiting for them outside.

"Glad to see the six of you could make it." Leon said as soon as the six had landed and dismissed their Keyblade Riders and armor.

"Sorry it took us so long to get here. We just came from the islands." Sora said as Terra cleared his throat.

"More like, what's left of the islands, I'm afraid." Terra added.

"We know. We figured that you would spot the island's flickering from the Land of Departure and head there first. We suspected that you'd come here afterwards too." Lightning said as she holstered the Blaze Edge.

"So where is everyone? Did they make it off the islands alright?" Riku asked as Leon nodded.

"Snow, Serah, Aerith, and Tifa, are helping everyone get set up at the inn near the marketplace. Tifa runs the place." Leon explained.

"Tifa runs the inn?" Aqua asked curiously.

"She got bored with waiting for Cloud to come back so she bought the old inn and refurbished it. It's the Restoration Committee's new headquarters since Merlin is entertaining guests at his house nowadays." Leon explained.

"Guests?" Sora asked as the door to Merlin's house flew open just in time for a jet of flames to shoot out the door. Luckily no one on the outside was caught in the stream but now smoke was billowing from the house, followed shortly by the house's owner, wheezing from the smoke.

"Oh das it all! You have officially worn out your welcome, madam, and mind you I use that term lightly!" Merlin spat angrily at someone inside the house. Aqua, Terra, Ven, and Sora each paled.

"There's only one person in the worlds other than Cid that can make Merlin blow his cork like that." Aqua said as she and the other three now bloodless Keyblade wielders hunched over in misery, earning confused looks from Riku and Kairi.

"Who are you talking about?" Kairi asked curiously. However her answer came in the form of a woman belting out a hearty laugh.

"Whom does he speak of, a total loser like you, might ask. Why none other than a mighty wizard, in whose presence you may now bask." The woman's voice declared from inside the house before a very short woman with a small black nose and pointed ears emerged from inside. Her hair was blond and in a pair of short pigtails. She wore a robe with black and white stripes, gold linings, and two matching gauntlets. On her back was a short staff with a red gem embedded in the top.

"Professor Shantotto, what a surprise to see you here." Aqua said with a forced smile. The short Tarutaru woman turned towards the group of Keyblade wielders. Leon and Lightning had wisely hidden themselves behind a nearby building.

"Ah, Aqua, a master of the key and still a total loser to me. Ventus, so proud and so bold, now just a has been who's starting to grow mold. Sora such a bright young lad, now nothing more than a certain princess's fad. And Terra a-…" Shantotto (Final Fantasy XI) said but stopped when she realized that Terra had mysteriously vanished. Aqua, Sora, and Ven now had storm clouds over their heads. They looked around and finally spotted Terra, crouched in a nearby corner, staring straight into the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest. (A/N: This is what's known as the Emo Corner)

"Not again…not her again…anything but her again." Terra muttered to himself, seemingly on the brink of madness.

"Wow, she has that kind of effect on people?" Riku asked, earning glares from Lightning and Leon as they poked their head out from behind the building, none of them noticing as Sora, Ven, and Aqua, joined Terra in his corner.

"You have no idea." Leon and Lightning both muttered. Fortunately it didn't take long to convince the four out of the corner.

"Where were we?" Sora asked confused.

"Oh yeah, the others from the Destiny Islands are at Tifa's inn. We'll show you the way." Leon said, leading them towards the marketplace with Lightning, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Ven, and Shantotto close behind, leaving Merlin to repair his house. When they approached the stairs to the marketplace, they noticed a road had been cut into the wall to the left of the stairs. They took this road and soon arrived outside of a nice two story building with a sign dangling over the door that read "Tifa's Seventh Heaven Inn." They entered into the building and almost instantly saw Tifa behind a bar top, handing Snow a can of soda.

"Sorry about the can, Snow. I'm still working on inventory." Tifa said as Snow shrugged it off.

"Eh, no problem Tifa. This is just fine." Snow said, taking a swig before he noticed the arrival of the others, causing him to do a spit take.

"Well geez if it's that bad, you don't need to spit it out!" Tifa yelled angrily as Snow sheepishly wiped his mouth.

"No-no-no, Tifa, look!" Snow said, pointing towards the door. Tifa turned and smiled warmly at the sight of the others.

"Oh, hey! Welcome back!" Tifa said as Sora, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Riku, and Kairi approached.

"Hey Tifa, nice place." Aqua said with a friendly nod.

"Thanks but it still needs some work. Anyway, I guess you'll want to talk to the others, I'll get them for you." Tifa said as she walked up to a small metal box on the wall with a red button and a speaker. She pressed and held down the button before saying…

"Restoration Committee meeting in the lobby! Repeat, Restoration Committee meeting in the lobby!" Tifa's announcement rang out over the speakers and soon the sound of thundering footsteps was heard from down a nearby hall and from overhead. Soon Aerith, Serah, Yuffie, Cid, Hope, the fairies Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, and two faces that Sora and Aqua recognized arrived.

"Firion! Tina! Hey what are you guys doing here?" Sora exclaimed as he saw the Weapon Master and Esperkin arrive.

"Sora, Aqua, glad to see you guys again." Firion (Final Fantasy II) said with a friendly nod.

"We're members of the Restoration Committee now. We have nowhere else to go so we figured that we'd help out here." Tina (Final Fantasy VI) added with a smile.

"Uh, Sora, would you like to introduce us?" Riku asked, nudging Sora with his elbow, not taking his eyes off of Tina.

"Oh right, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Ven, this is Tina Branford and Firion, they helped us out in Mirage Arena a few months back." Sora explained as Tina gave a polite curtsy.

"My real name is actually Terra Branford but everyone calls me Tina since no one seems to be able to remember my name." Tina said, earning an amused look from the other Terra.

"Well that's a name I can remember. My name's also Terra." Terra said as Tina blushed.

"Oh, I guess you could remember it easily." Tina said before Cid let out a sigh.

"Can we get down to business here people? I'd like to get back up there before that kid with the wooden sword starts messing things up!" Cid said as Lightning nodded.

"Good idea." She replied.

"So what exactly happened to cause the islands to fall into darkness again? It all happened so suddenly." Snow said.

"We suspect that somehow, a heartless managed to get to the world's heart. When we arrived we had to combat a Darkside Heartless, but when we defeated it, the world's heart didn't return as it was supposed to." Aqua explained.

"But that can't be, I check the keyhole to the islands on a regular basis. All three of us do." Sora said as Kairi and Riku nodded in agreement.

"He's right. Every day when we get there, we check the keyhole, and every time, it's still sealed." Riku said.

"Then something or someone must have broken the seal. My guess is the Heartless that you guys killed." Leon said before Shantotto belted out one of her hearty laughs.

"Total loser, your grade is a D. For a lock may only be opened with a key." Shantotto rebuked.

"What did she say, Light?" Hope asked confused.

"She said that only someone with a Keyblade could break through the seal on the Keyhole." Lightning translated.

"But to do that, they would have to have gotten past all of us. We were all there when the islands started to collapse again, but we saw no one arrive or leave." Snow said as Lightning glanced at him.

"They could have found a way to sneak past us." Lightning replied as Riku and Terra both nodded.

"Yeah, they could have used a Corridor of Darkness. Its how Xehanort and all his lackeys got around between worlds." Terra said.

"How do you know that?" Firion asked, completely clueless. The air around Terra seemed to darken.

"Firion, drop it." Lightning advised.

"Lightning I can speak for myself. Besides, there are some facts that I have to face. To answer your question, Firion, I know that because for ten years, I played host to Xehanort's heart. He possessed my body and overpowered my heart, taking control of me and using me as a vessel for his evil." Terra explained, causing Firion to step back in shock. He wasn't alone, Tina was just as shocked.

"Terra, that's horrible!" Tina said as Terra took a cleansing breath.

"It's all in the past. The dark stains on my heart are there to stay, but I'll learn to cope with it." Terra replied as Aqua cleared her throat.

"Anyway, back to the business at hand. This isn't the first occurrence, as of late, where a seal made by a Keyblade was broken, but this is only the most severe." Aqua said, confusing the others except Sora.

"Wait, you mean the door to Master Eraqus's room in the Land of Departure? You think that the door to Eraqus's room and the keyhole of the Destiny Islands are connected?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.

"It would make sense. Only someone with a Keyblade could have possibly broken those seals. There's no other explanation other than the fact that someone with a Keyblade could have possibly done this." Aqua said.

"But there's a problem with that theory. Six of the seven known Keyblade wielders are in this very room and were all together when the islands were destroyed." Leon said.

"We were all together when the seal on door to Eraqus's room was broken too." Kairi added.

"Then that leaves only one suspect." Lightning said.

"No, King Mickey is not a suspect. He would never break the seal on a keyhole, let alone a keyhole to the heart of a whole world." Leon said.

"Then that means…no, there's no way." Ven said, dismissing his own theory but Aqua seemed to pick up on it.

"It's not impossible, Ven. There could very well be another Keyblade wielder out there, one aligned with the darkness or just simply not knowing what they're doing." Aqua said.

"I highly doubt that whoever it is doesn't know what they're doing." Firion said, earning nods of agreement from the others.

"We need to find some answers and I know of three places we can go to find these answers." Aqua said as she tapped her chin in thought.

"Where?" Kairi asked.

"The first would be Disney Castle. We need to talk to King Mickey, and see what he knows." Aqua said.

"You should probably also ask Yen Sid. He knows all sorts of stuff 'n' junk about Keyblades and the like." Cid suggested as Aqua nodded.

"He was number two on my list. The third would, naturally, be Ansem the Wise." Aqua said as Yuffie scoffed.

"Tsh, good luck. Ever since coming back here, he's done nothing but barricaded himself inside his castle, working who knows what and not talking to anyone." Yuffie said as Terra shrugged.

"We can get him to talk. He owes us after all, for saving his hide." Terra said as Aqua turned towards him.

"Perhaps, but there's one of us who has worked with him for a whole year. Riku, Terra, I leave Ansem to the two of you." Aqua said, earning confused looks from the four apprentices and her fellow master.

"Wait, you're splitting us up?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.

"We have to. We'll cover more ground this way. If we work in pairs, we can learn more and possibly discover the identity of this mysterious Keyblade wielder. Plus it'll be good training for all of you apprentices." Aqua explained.

"Alright, so does that mean you and I, are going together?" Ven asked as Aqua smiled but shook her head.

"No, Ven. We can't. I figure you and Sora will work well together. You know each other well enough and your hearts do seem to complement each other." Aqua said as Ven and Sora looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, having my heart attached to his for ten years can do that." Ven said as Sora nodded in agreement.

"So it'll be us girls together huh?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"Yep. You and I are going to go talk to Master Yen Sid. Sora, you and Ven will go speak to the King. Find out what he knows if anything." Aqua said as Sora pulled out his lucky charm.

"We can keep in communication using our Lucky charms and D-Links." Sora said as the others nodded.

"Looks like you're all off on another great adventure." Leon said as he leaned against the nearby wall.

"What can I say? It's what we live for." Sora said with a shrug.

"Good luck out there you guys. We'll be rooting for you. Oh and if you see Cloud, tell him to come home already." Tifa said as Lightning approached Sora.

"You still have that pendant I gave you?" Lightning asked as Sora fished into his pocket and pulled out the L'Cie Pendant that Lightning had given him three months ago in Olympus Coliseum.

"I've got it. But I think Aqua might need it more than I will." Sora said as he handed it to Aqua. Lightning had no objections.

"Here, Sora, take this with you just so I know you're safe." Kairi said, handing him her original lucky charm.

"Kairi, I can't take this from you again." Sora said as Kairi gave him a pleading look.

"Please, Sora, I want you to take it." Kairi said before Sora finally relented and took the charm.

"Looks like the two of us are kinda left high and dry, huh?" Terra asked as Riku shrugged.

"More of a challenge for us I guess. And I don't mind that one bit." Riku said with a smirk.

"Oh and by the way, keep your eye out for the mysterious cavernous maws. You don't know where you'll end up after getting trapped in one's jaws." Shantotto said with her hands on her tiny hips.

"Thanks, Professor, we'll be careful." Aqua said as the six Keyblade wielders started walking out of the inn.

"Now don't forget all that you have learned, and on that note, class is adjourned." Shantotto added before she vanished in a flash of light.

"Where did she go?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Probably back to Merlin's to torment him some more. It's one of her favorite pass times." Terra said as he hunched over again.

"Better him than us." Sora muttered.

"We'll be sure to fill the others in." Hope said, following them out the door.

"Alright, from here our paths diverge. Good luck everyone." Aqua said as she summoned her armor and Keyblade Rider. Kairi, Sora, and Ven followed suit.

"You guys take care. Be sure to call us if you need any back up. Yeah, I'm looking at you Sora." Riku said with a grin.

"Shut up." Sora replied.

"Oh, and Riku, Terra, one more thing. I want you to watch out for each other. You're the only group without a master, but that's not the point. You both have stains on your hearts from where the darkness overtook you. Watch out for each other and make sure that neither of you succumb to the darkness again." Aqua said as Terra nodded.

"You don't need to worry about Riku; he knows how to handle it better than I do." Terra replied.

"Then listen to his advice. Good luck you two." Aqua said before she turned to Kairi and nodded. They both suddenly lurched into the air and rocketed off into the sky.

"See ya round!" Sora called before he and Ven flew off in a different direction, leaving the two apprentices on their own.

"So…race you to Ansem's front door?" Riku asked as Terra grinned.

"You're on!" He replied as they both turned and took off down the street.

"You think they'll all be alright?" Yuffie asked.

"They'll be fine. They always manage to pull through." Leon replied.

"Have faith in their abilities. They're not stupid." Lightning said as she looked up towards the sky.

"Are you sure they can handle it?" Cid asked, munching on the stalk of wheat in his mouth.

"It's not a matter of can or can't. There are some things in life that you just do, right Light?" Hope asked, earning an approving smile and nod from the soldier.

"Now you're learning." Lightning replied as she turned her gaze back up towards the sky.

* * *

**End Chapter 6**


	7. Ansem & The King

Riku was first to reach the castle postern of Ansem's castle, giving Terra a smug smirk.

"Augh! No fair! You had home field advantage!" Terra groaned as he caught his breath.

"How so?" Riku asked.

"You've been here more recently, so you know what not to trip over." Terra grumbled.

"Ah don't worry Terra. It was just a friendly race. Besides you could have used your Keyblade Rider if you wanted to." Riku said as Terra paused.

"But I…oh darn it!" Terra grumbled as Riku laughed.

"That's the first thing you should learn about trying to overcome the darkness inside you. Learn to have a sense of humor. A little laughter goes a long way." Riku said as he turned towards the front door to the castle, only to see it had been sealed shut with a large metal double door.

"Wow, when that hyper ninja girl said that he had barricaded himself in here, she really meant it." Terra said as they looked for any sort of Keyhole but found none.

"He's also playing it smart. He meticulously didn't put in a keyhole on the front of the door." Riku said.

"Then how do we get inside?" Terra asked. Almost as soon as he asked that, they heard a loud mechanical rumble and the doors started to slowly swing open towards them.

"I guess that's how we get inside." Terra said with a shrug as he and Riku started walking through the halls. Much to their surprise, most of the debris and damage that had once been done to the castle halls were now gone or hidden behind large red curtains. They continued walking down the hall until they finally reached the door to Ansem's study. Before they could even knock, the door was opened for them by Ansem himself. Ansem hadn't changed from his old DiZ costume minus the bandages.

"Glad you could make it, Riku. I see you also brought Xehanort with you." Ansem said, glaring daggers at Terra who glanced away.

"I'm not Xehanort. Not anymore." Terra said as Ansem continued glaring at him.

"That remains to be seen." Ansem replied with a suspicious glare as the two entered the study. The study itself had been restored to its former grandeur but the glass tanks that once held hearts were now fish tanks. The portrait of Xehanort, now sporting a drawn mustache, glasses, devil horns, a goatee, and several darts embedded within it, was lying against the wall on the floor.

"Terra."

"Yeah?"

"Never grow a beard or mustache. It looks terrible on you." Riku said, inspiring Terra to roll his eyes and put his foot through the portrait.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time." He mumbled as Ansem took his seat behind the desk.

"Now then, Riku, what brings you to me?" Ansem asked, interlocking his fingers together in a serious pose.

"We're trying to solve a mystery. The Destiny Islands recently fell into darkness and we don't know who's responsible." Riku explained. Ansem glanced accusingly at Terra but then back towards Riku.

"Was the keyhole not sealed?" Ansem asked.

"No it was sealed. Somehow the seal was broken and then a heartless got in and consumed the world's heart. We defeated the heartless but for some reason the heart of the world didn't return like it should have." Riku replied. Ansem turned slightly, running a hand over his bearded chin in thought.

"Perplexing. If Xehanort is dead, then who of his lackeys remains alive?" Ansem asked, again glancing accusingly at Terra.

"You sure don't act like Xehanort is dead. You keep looking at me, expecting my hair to turn white all of a sudden and strike you down in an instant." Terra said, a little on edge from the looks. Ansem then turned back towards him and slammed both hands down on the desk, standing up as he glared straight at Terra.

"The weakness of your heart allowed Xehanort to control you, who in turn betrayed me and trapped me within the Realm of Darkness, nearly driving me insane! You will understand if I still retain my bitterness towards you because of it!" Ansem spat. Without warning, they both found the point of Riku's Keyblade held up between them.

"That's enough! Both of you! We didn't come here to rehash an old argument! I'm going to put this to you as plainly as I can, Ansem. Get over it!" Riku said as both men looked at the teenager in silence for a moment. Finally Ansem slowly sat back down with a look of composure.

"I restate my previous question. Which of Xehanort's lackeys remain?" Ansem asked.

"As far as we know, the only people who were ever lackeys of Xehanort that still survive are Pete and that guy with the black wing and long sword, Sephiroth." Terra replied.

"But Pete was banished to the Realm of Darkness by the King, and Sephiroth was only his henchmen because he was after Cloud Strife. After he had Cloud, he bailed on Xehanort." Riku added.

"If I could escape the Realm of Darkness, so can Pete. He may appear to be a bumbling fool, but he was still effective at creating new and powerful Heartless for Maleficent and Xehanort." Ansem said as Riku and Terra looked at each other.

"So we shouldn't count Pete out just yet?" Riku asked as Ansem nodded.

"No. He might have a part in all this before this is over." Ansem replied.

"Then what about Sephiroth? He's still out there for all we know." Terra asked.

"Sephiroth has only a singular goal. He intends to force Cloud to succumb to the darkness within him. I don't believe that he has any intention of trying to plunge the worlds in darkness, only Cloud." Ansem replied.

"Do you have any suggestions on what we should do or where we should look?" Riku asked as Ansem pondered.

"There are two places you should investigate. They are very close together so it won't be a long journey between them. The first would be my old lab beneath the abandoned mansion in Twilight Town. The second, would be the World that Never Was." Ansem said, taking Riku by surprise.

"The World that Never Was? The home of the Nobodies?" Riku asked in shock as Ansem nodded.

"Indeed. There might be clues there. My lab in Twilight Town has a relay system allowing me to download whatever data is on it to my computer here. It is not active but if the two of you can reactivate it, I might have an easier time learning what is going on." Ansem said as Riku nodded.

"Is the password still the same?" Riku asked as Ansem laughed.

"Of course. I have no reason to change it."Ansem replied as Riku nodded.

"Thanks Ansem." Riku said.

"One more thing, Ansem. The broken seal on the keyhole, it wasn't the first time this happened." Terra said, causing Ansem to lean forward curiously.

"It wasn't?" He asked.

"No. In the Land of Departure, Riku and Aqua sensed something coming from inside the castle there. We followed them inside and found that the door to Master Eraqus's old room had been opened. Ven and I had both witnessed Aqua putting a seal on that door herself. A seal that only she could unlock. Ven and I both tested that seal and were unable to break it. Aqua claims she didn't break the seal to Eraqus's room and I honestly don't think that she did." Terra said as Ansem leaned back in thought.

"You are right not to suspect your master. What would there be to gain by unlocking that door? Was there something in Eraqus's room that one would find valuable?" Ansem asked as the two apprentices looked at each other.

"Well, there was a book that Eraqus wrote for Aqua, Terra, and Ven, but it was magically bound so that only a true master of the Keyblade could open it and read it. Sora and Aqua were the only ones who could open it." Riku explained.

"Hmm…this indeed adds more to the mystery. Who, why, and how could someone unlock a door that was sealed with a master's Keyblade and then unlock the keyhole to a world's heart? There are mysterious forces at work here and I am not excluding the possibility that Xehanort might have had a hand in it." Ansem said, this time not even looking at Terra.

"You think Xehanort might have survived or are you still blaming Terra?" Riku asked, crossing his arms.

"No and no. I believe that this might be his handy work, only from the grave." Ansem said as Riku and Terra looked thoughtful.

"Terra, any of this ringing any bells?" Riku asked as Terra sighed.

"If this was a plan he had concocted in the event of his failure to conquer the worlds, then I was unaware of it. I suspect however that the one person, who might know, is Kairi. He did possess her in order to use the pure light of her heart and pure darkness of his own to forge the X-Blade. During that time, she might have learned of some kind of contingency plan that he had formulated during or before our fight with him." Terra said as Riku nodded.

"Then we'll ask her on the fly while we head to Twilight Town." Riku said before turning back to Ansem.

"Thanks for your time DiZ." Riku said as Ansem smiled and nodded.

"Glad to be of service, Riku." Ansem said as Riku and Terra turned and ran out of the study, bound for the postern.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Sora and Ven's Keyblade Riders touched down the Disney Castle gardens near the hedge model of the castle itself. Almost instantly the two were spotted by Donald and Goofy.

"Hey! It's Sora!" Goofy exclaimed as he and the duck wizard came running up towards them.

"Donald! Goofy! How've you guys been?" Sora asked as they group hugged while Ven stood off to the side with a smile on his face.

"We've been great, pal." Goofy said.

"What about you, Sora?" Donald quacked. Sora then realized that he still had his armor activated with the helmet dismissed.

"Oh, well…" Sora said, dismissing the armor, revealing his Master's Haori underneath, "…you're now looking at a genuine Keyblade Master."

The two gasped in amazement before glomping their old friend.

"Gawrsh, our Sora's grown up into a full blown Keyblade Master." Goofy said almost tearfully.

"Just like his majesty." Donald said before Ven cleared his throat.

"Hate to be the one to break up the party but, we do have a mission, right Sora?" Ven asked as Sora nodded.

"Yeah, we do. Sorry guys but we need to speak with his majesty if we can." Sora said as Donald and Goofy both nodded.

"Sure, pal. Right this way." Goofy said as he and Donald escorted Sora and Ven towards the throne room. They weren't aware however of a portal that opened up over one of the nearby towers. When they arrived at the throne room doors, the large double doors swung open as a loud trumpet fanfare was heard and a disembodied voice declared…

"Announcing Master Sora, of the Keyblade, and Ventus, Apprentice of the Keyblade!"

"Who said that?" Ven asked as Sora shrugged, clueless. At the end of the red carpet, sitting on the thrones was King Mickey and Queen Minnie with Pluto to Mickey's right and Jiminy sitting at a small desk in the corner.

"Hyah fellas! Oh boy is it good to see the two of you again ha-ha!" Mickey said happily as he leapt off his throne. Sora and Ven bowed humbly to the Mouse King.

"Greetings your highness." The two said in unison.

"So what'cha guys up to? Say, aren't you supposed to be with Aqua?" Mickey asked Ven who shrugged.

"We're all divided into groups of two right now your highness. Riku and Terra are on one team, Aqua and Kairi on another, then there's the two of us." Ven replied.

"We're trying to solve some mysteries." Sora added.

"Mysteries? What kind of mysteries, fellas?" Mickey asked curiously.

"Well, you see…" Sora said as he and Ven quickly gave Mickey a rundown of the situation with the mysteriously opening keyholes. Mickey was perplexed.

"Hmm. This is certainly a mystery alright." Mickey said as he scratched his head in thought. Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, and even Queen Minnie were deep in thought. They each thought in silence for a while.

"Hmm, another Keyblade wielder, going around and unlocking the hearts of the worlds. That doesn't bode well. Besides Xehanort, there are only three people I know that could wield a Keyblade. Roxas, Xion…and Vanitas." Mickey said, turning to Ven.

"Vanitas? Impossible, Sora and I both destroyed him when we restored both fragments of my heart. I don't even feel him in my heart either. He's not capable of doing anything through me." Ven explained.

"And Roxas and Xion are still within me. I've even learned that, through them, I can wield two Keyblades at a time." Sora said, summoning both Oblivion in his right hand and Oathkeeper in his left.

"I didn't know you could do that." Ven said as Sora dismissed Oathkeeper and replaced Oblivion with the Kingdom Key.

"It's not easy. It takes a lot of strength for me to handle. I can only do it for a few minutes at a time." Sora said as he rested his Keyblade on his shoulder.

"So then that leaves just the three of us, Aqua, Kairi, Riku, and Terra as the only people who can wield a Keyblade." Ven said.

"That we know of at least. There might be some new ones we don't know about." Jiminy said as Sora tapped his chin.

"He's right; there might be more people with Keyblades out there." Mickey said.

"Looks like we've hit a dead end, huh Sora?" Ven asked as Sora sighed.

"Yeah, looks like. Thanks for your time your highness." Sora said as Mickey smiled.

"Cheer up fellas. There's got to be an answer out there somewhere. Who knows, maybe an answer will drop right into your lap." Mickey said with a smile. They then heard what sounded like someone shouting from the outside.

"What is that?" Sora asked confused as they all turned towards the still open double doors.

"Sounds like it's coming from outside." Mickey said as they started walking outside, leaving Jiminy, Pluto, and the queen behind in the throne room. As they emerged into the colonnade they heard the shouting coming from overhead. They looked up and saw, standing on a sideways leaning flagpole was a spiky blue haired teenage boy around Sora and Ven's age shouting down at them.

"YAH-HOO! No-one-can-take-the-attention-away-from-me! I-don't-care who-you-are! It-doesn't-matter-to-me! I'm-still-destined-to-be-king!" the boy ranted, thoroughly confusing those present.

"Uh, Sora? Friend of yours?" Ven asked over the boy's ranting as Sora shook his head.

"Nope, never seen him before in my life." Sora replied.

"Whoa! What is he doing up there on the flagpole?" Mickey asked before turning to Donald and Goofy.

"Get him down from there fellas!" Mickey ordered.

"Right away your majesty!" the two replied in unison before running off into the basement to find a ladder, the boy still ranting the entire time. Unfortunately the flagpole suddenly broke off and started falling towards the garden.

"UH-OH!" Sora, Ven, and Mickey exclaimed fearfully. They were astonished however when the boy landed on both feet on the ground, not looking the slightest bit the worse for wear.

"Geez he's insane!" Sora exclaimed as the three ran down stairs into the garden where the boy stood in an epic pose, his hand pointed up towards the sky overhead and a grin planted on his face.

"Fear not meager mortals, for now that the mighty Wind has arrived, the sun has come out from behind the clouds!" the boy declared proudly.

"Are you an idiot?" Ven asked curiously, causing the boy's smile to vanish and a vein on his forehead to bulge.

"What did you just say? Are you picking a fight with me, heart-bound?" Wind asked challengingly.

"Heart-bound? What's a heart-bound?" Sora asked.

"What kind of stupid question is that? What's a heart-bound? The three of you are Heart-bound, duh!" Wind said, confusing them.

"We're heart-bound? But we don't even know what that means." Ven said as Wind laughed.

"It doesn't matter if you know what it means or not! It still means that I'm here to eliminate the competition!" Wind said, looking at Mickey and stretching out his hand to the side, summoning his large round shuriken in a flash of light.

"Wha-how did you do that?" Sora asked as the winds suddenly picked up. Sora, Ven, and Mickey quickly summoned their Keyblades but Wind simply grinned.

"You're outnumbered, kid. It's three against one." Ven said as Wind laughed.

"Three against one? Ha! It's two against one! You can't touch me!" Wind said, pointing at Ven who looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about? I'll show you!" Ven yelled angrily as he summoned his armor and leapt at Wind who merely grinned.

None of them expected what happened next.

* * *

**End Chapter 7.**


	8. Wind & Wizards

(Battle Music Cue: Apprehension – Kingdom Hearts II OST) Ven leapt at the grinning Wind, his Keyblade raised and armor summoned. Ven brought the Keyblade around to strike at Wind who didn't even flinch or react at the attack, merely glancing at the weapon as it flew towards him. Then without explanation, the Keyblade froze in midair with a yellow glow around it, mere inches from Wind.

"Huh? What in the-?" Ven asked in shock as he attempted to strike at Wind again but once again his Keyblade froze in midair.

"I told ya, you can't touch me. Now me on the other hand…" Wind said before leaping into the air and plowing both feet into Ven's chest, launching him across the garden where he hit the opposite wall hard, falling unconscious.

"Ven!" Sora exclaimed before he turned back to Wind and summoned his armor.

"Oops, did I do that? Heh, he should have known better than to attack me!" Wind said with a hint of sarcasm before quickly bringing his shuriken around in time to block a blow from Sora's Keyblade.

"Who are you? What did you do to Ven?" Sora asked angrily but Wind simply grinned. The shuriken started spinning like a saw blade with Wind's hand on the inside ring of the weapon.

"Nothing that I'm not going to do to you." Wind replied challengingly before swinging the shuriken across in front of him as Mickey ran in for a charge, knocking both Sora and Mickey back. Wind quickly leapt onto the shuriken and started hovering in the air as the shuriken continued spinning beneath his feet.

"Take this, Heart-Bound!" Wind shouted as he flew at Sora with his fists raised, nimbly dodging Sora's attacks.

"You're not much of a challenge! Let's go ahead and end it now!" Wind said as he suddenly appeared behind Sora and proceeded to ram his elbow into Sora's back, the armor doing nothing to stop the blow. Wind suddenly delivered a fierce punch to Sora's back, resulting in a powerful shockwave and a large burst of blue orbs of magic energy shooting out in all directions from Sora before he was suddenly launched into the wall from the strike. Sora fell from the side of the wall and into some bushes below.

"Heh! And he calls himself a master." Wind said with a smug grin before suddenly getting smacked in the jaw by Mickey's Keyblade. As soon as Wind recovered from the attack he snarled at the mouse king.

"Why you little-! How dare you strike the king!" Wind yelled angrily, summoning his Shuriken to his hand.

"As I see it, there's only one King here and that's not you!" Mickey replied as Wind's snarl turned into a grin.

"Then let's see if you can hold onto your crown!" Wind shouted before he leapt into the air, shuriken spinning like a saw blade in his hand again before suddenly getting hit head on by a wave of red bolts of energy, followed by another, and another. Mickey turned to see an unarmored Sora standing clear of the bushes and firing off his Shoot Lock, Ragnarok Ultima. Wind was knocked into a pillar on the colonnade and fell to the ground, landing on one knee and with one hand on the ground.

"Sora! Are you alright?" Mickey asked as Sora nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. My armor took some damage but I'm alright." Sora replied.

"How did you recover your energy so fast? My attack should have knocked all of your power out!" Wind asked as Sora held up an empty glass bottle.

"Something I learned that these pockets come in handy for. I can always carry plenty of potions and ethers at all times." Sora said as he dismissed his Keyblade, confusing Wind.

"Giving up already? Heh, I guess you must have realized that there is no hope of you defeating such a rising star like me! Alright then, I'll grant you a quick defeat!" Wind shouted as he dropped back into a fighting stance.

"Your highness, let me deal with him." Sora said as Mickey nodded silently. Just then, Wind started charging towards Sora who simply waited with his hands held out to the sides. Just before Wind could reach him, Sora quickly summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion and blocked Wind's attack.

"Huh? What the-?" Wind asked before he was suddenly dealt a fierce knee jab to the stomach before getting kicked away by Sora. Sora then leapt at him, bringing the two Keyblades down towards Wind who quickly moved to shield himself and managed to block the blows. Now Sora was on the offensive while Wind constantly blocked and dodged as many attacks as he could. Sora suddenly swung Oblivion down towards Wind's legs, hooking the tooth around Wind's left ankle and pulling the feet out from under him, sending the shuriken flying into the air only to land in one of the hedge sculptures nearby. Wind attempted to leap to his feet but found Oblivion pointed to his chin.

"Alright, who are you?" Sora asked as Wind's eye twitched in annoyance. He knew he had been beaten and he did not like it one bit.

"I already told you, I'm Wind. I'm a man destined to be king!" Wind replied as Mickey and a now recovered Ven gathered around.

"What did you do to my Keyblade, Wind?" Ven asked as Wind scoffed.

"Your Keyblade? Ha! That's rich." Wind said with a grin.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked as Oblivion and Oathkeeper vanished, only to be replaced by the Kingdom Key. Wind only chuckled.

"So naïve. The Keyblade isn't yours. It's not some mindless weapon that you own. The Keyblade chose you to you to be its wielder. It's got a mind of its own." Wind replied, causing Sora, Ven, and Mickey's eyes to widen in shock.

"What do you know about the Keyblade? Are you the one who caused my home to fall into darkness?" Sora asked, earning a confused look from Wind.

"What are you talking about? I didn't cause any worlds to fall into darkness? Why would I even do that? It would cause the heart of the world to vanish and I can't afford to let that happen, not until I get what I need from it first." Wind said, further confusing the three Keyblade Wielders.

"What? What do you mean?" Ven asked.

"That it none of your concern." A gruff man's voice shouted from nearby. They each turned to see a sudden wave of rocks come flying towards them at high speed. Sora, Ven, and Mickey quickly leapt clear as Wind summoned his Shuriken and launched into the air before the rock wave hit. The three Keyblade wielders turned to see a man holding a large hammer over his shoulder and with Wind hovering next to him.

"You have no idea what it took to get me to be the one to rescue your sorry hide, Wind." Sha said to the teenager next to him.

"Ha! Consider it an honor to rescue your king!" Wind said with his arms crossed as Sha groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Shut up you little pest. Now come on, we're leaving." Sha said as he turned and stretched out his hand, summoning a large portal like before.

"Catch ya later!" Wind shouted tauntingly before flying into the portal.

"HEY! Come back here you!" Sora shouted as he charged towards the portal but Sha raised his hammer and slammed it into the ground in front of him, causing a wall of rocks to suddenly burst up from the ground between him and Sora. Sora just barely managed to stop in time.

"We will meet again." Sha said before turning and walking into the portal, the portal closing behind him. The rock wall then promptly sank back into the ground.

"Whoa! Who were those guys?" Sora asked.

"I don't know who they are, but how was that one guy able to stop my attacks?" Ven asked curiously.

"Whoever they are, I think they may be responsible for what happened to my homeworld." Sora said as Mickey looked curious.

"You might be right, Sora. The mystery has gotten even more mysterious." Mickey said as Ven nodded.

"You've got that right." Ven said.

"Come on, we've got to tell the others about this." Sora said as he and Ven both pulled out their Lucky charms.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Aqua and Kairi's Keyblade Riders set down on the lone floating grass covered island outside of Yen Sid's tower as the island floated on a sea of rainbow colored magic energy. Kairi looked up at the tower with a look of hesitation on her face as her armor vanished.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"I'm positive. Don't worry, Kairi. Master Yen Sid is a good guy. He can be scary at times, but he's a good guy at heart. He and Master Eraqus were friends you know." Aqua said as they started walking towards the front door, the mighty wizard himself watching the two from the window as they approached the tower.

"Man, there sure are a lot of stairs." Kairi said as they started to climb the dizzying number of stairs.

"Yeah, it's not fun, but it's necessary." Aqua replied with a light hearted chuckle.

"Hey, Aqua, you referred to Yen Sid as Master a moment ago. Does that mean-?" Kairi asked as Aqua smiled and nodded.

"Uh-huh, Master Yen Sid is a retired Keyblade Master. He'll never admit it but I think he's the one who trained Master Eraqus and maybe even Xehanort before he went renegade. I'm not sure at all though. But I do know for a fact that he trained King Mickey." Aqua explained as they continued climbing the stairs.

"Retired Keyblade Master? Why did he retire?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"No clue. I just know that he's probably the smartest person alive." Aqua said as they finally reached the doors to his room. Aqua reared back her hand to knock but before she could, she heard Yen Sid's voice boom…

"Enter!"

The door then opened itself and the two girls entered the room.

"Greetings Master Yen Sid." Aqua said with a humble bow. Kairi bowed as well. The mighty wizard turned towards them, his usual stoic gaze fixed on the two of them.

"Please, be seated." Yen Sid said, waving a hand and causing two stools to appear behind the two Keyblade wielders. The girls looked at each other and shrugged before sitting down.

"I have been expecting your arrival for some time now, Aqua, though I had hoped that you would bring Sora and the other Apprentices with you." Yen Sid said as he sat down at his desk.

"I'm sorry Master, but some things have come up recently." Aqua said as Yen Sid nodded understandingly.

"Yes, I am aware of the situation." Yen Sid said as Kairi spoke up.

"Master Yen Sid, sir, what do you know about the situation exactly?" Kairi asked.

"I am aware of the recent and unexplained fall of the Destiny Islands into darkness. I have also noticed as the darkness has been growing stronger as of late and only recently has begun to move." Yen Sid explained, earning a curious look from Aqua.

"Excuse me Master, but don't you think that Sora and I should have been informed of the growing darkness?" Aqua asked with a hint of impatience in her voice.

"In retrospect it probably was an error on my part. But as a master, you should be able to sense these things as well. On the other hand, this case is rather…unique in itself." Yen Sid said, confusing the girls.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked as Yen Sid leaned back slightly in his chair.

"This darkness is different somehow. It's like hearing an echo and not hearing the sound that made it. It's a hollow darkness." Yen Sid explained.

"Hollow? Are we talking Nobodies?" Aqua asked as Yen Sid shook his head.

"No, the beings of nothingness, I believe are not connected to this. However I do have a sense a strange feeling of…familiarity with this darkness. Like it is something I have felt before, something so familiar I should know what it is but at the same time I cannot exactly place what this feeling is. However I have determined that it does have something to do with the Keyblade." Yen Sid said.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"I'm not quite sure myself, but my instincts tell me that this strange feeling and the Keyblades are connected somehow. I don't have an explanation for it yet, but I am working on one." Yen Sid said as Aqua pondered.

"Then what can we do to help?" Kairi asked eagerly. Yen Sid smiled warmly at her.

"I admire your eagerness to help, young Kairi. Your title as a Princess of Heart is well deserved. There are places I want the two of you to investigate. I want you to investigate the Heartless Castle in Radiant Garden, the Nobody Castle in the World that Never Was, and the Castle at the Land of Departure." Yen Sid explained, surprising Aqua.

"The Land of Departure?" Aqua asked confused.

"Yes. Each of these locations, are places where Xehanort had an impact in one form or another. His heartless controlled the castle in Radiant Garden, Xemnas, his Nobody, led Organization XIII from the World that Never Was, and Xehanort himself plunged the Land of Departure into darkness once. Xehanort might seem to be the connection but I believe that the more you investigate, the more we will find the true connection." Yen Sid explained.

"Then, where should we go first?" Aqua asked as Yen Sid leaned back in his chair again.

"I believe the answer will come to you very soon." Yen Sid replied, confusing the two yet again.

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked. She then felt a strange yet familiar sensation, like she was suddenly very close to Terra. She knew what it meant and she quickly pulled out her lucky charm.

"Terra? Terra is that you?" Aqua asked as she closed her eyes. Almost instantly she found herself standing within a place made of nothing but endless white. She looked around and saw Kairi next to her like in Yen Sid's tower.

"Over here!" She heard Terra call. She turned and saw Terra and Riku approaching from in the distance.

"Well this is weird. Is this how the D-links work over long distances?" Riku asked as Aqua nodded.

"Yeah. Not quite what you were expecting, huh?" Aqua asked as Riku nodded.

"Not in the slightest." Riku said.

"I tried contacting Sora and Ven but neither of them answered. I guess they'll just have to catch up later. Anyway, we've spoken with Ansem the Wise. He thinks that Xehanort might be involved, albeit indirectly." Terra explained.

"Hmm, Master Yen Sid says that the darkness has something to do with the Keyblades. He wants Kairi and me to visit three locations; The Heartless Castle in Radiant Garden, the Castle that Never Was, and then go back home to the Land of Departure. He says that Xehanort had something to do with each of these worlds but he thinks that there's more to this than just Xehanort." Aqua explained as Riku nodded.

"Ansem wants Terra and I to visit Twilight Town and activate some kind of transmitter in his old lab under the mansion there. He then wants us to go to the World that Never Was as well. He says it might hold a clue of some sort." Riku said as Aqua and Kairi both nodded.

"I sure wish Sora and Ven would get here with whatever the King knows." Terra said with his arms crossed.

"Hey he might not know anything." Kairi said with a shrug.

"GUYS!" Sora and Ven exclaimed in unison as they appeared in the D-Link and hurried towards the others.

"Sora, Ven, where have you guys been?" Aqua asked.

"We just got attacked!" Ven replied, causing everyone to freeze.

"Attacked? By who?" Terra asked.

"Some kid named Wind and another guy with a big hammer. He did something strange to Ven's Keyblade." Sora said as Ven summoned his Keyblade within the realm.

"It's like he managed to stop my Keyblade from moving. I don't know how he did it, but Sora and the King were able to attack him without a problem." Ven explained.

"Hmm, this is most curious."

"GAH! Master Yen Sid when did you get here?" Riku yelped as he saw the wizard appear.

"I've been eavesdropping for some time. Tell me, the boy who attacked you, Ven, did he have a Keyblade by any chance?" Yen Sid asked as Ven and Sora looked at each other and shook their heads.

"No, he wielded some other kind of weapon. A large ninja throwing star with five points and a big hole in the center. He could spin it like a saw blade in his hands and use it to fly by standing on it." Ven explained as Yen Sid started to ponder.

"Hmm. He was able to defend against your attacks, but not Sora's or Mickey's?" Yen Sid asked as Ven scratched the back of his head.

"Well, not exactly. Sora defeated him but not after taking a slight beating first." Ven explained, causing Kairi to gasp.

"Sora, are you alright?" Kairi asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Kairi. A little banged up is all, but I'm okay." Sora said as Yen Sid looked to be deep in thought as he started to disappear.

"It makes no sense." Yen Sid said as he faded out.

"Master Yen Sid!" Riku exclaimed fearfully.

"Relax, he's okay. He just dropped out of the D-Link." Terra said, calming his partner down.

"Okay, here's what we need to do. Yen Sid and Ansem both gave us a list of places to investigate. The World that Never Was is the only world on both lists. Here's my suggestion. Riku and Terra go on ahead to Twilight Town and do what Ansem asked of them there. Kairi and I will go back to Radiant Garden and investigate the old Heartless Castle. Sora, Ven…uh…I really don't have any suggestions for you two." Aqua said sheepishly as Sora and Ven looked at each other and shrugged.

"It's alright. Maybe we'll head to Mirage Arena, get some practice time in." Sora said as Ven nodded.

"Good idea, I could use the practice if I'm going to remember my old command styles and shoot locks." Ven said as Terra chuckled.

"Lucky you." Terra mumbled.

"Hey, we can head to Mirage Arena after we check out Xemnas's old place. We'll all D-Link when we're done at our respective worlds so we know to head to the World that Never Was." Riku said as the others nodded.

"**Right."** They all replied in unison.

"Oh and watch out for anyone suspicious. Who knows when you might run into someone like Wind or that other guy again?" Sora said.

"We'll keep our eyes open. For now, let's move people." Aqua said as they all broke the D-Link simultaneously. Aqua and Kairi found themselves still within Yen Sid's chambers. The wizard himself was now standing facing the window, continuously stroking his beard in deep thought.

"Master Yen Sid, we'll be leaving now." Aqua said as she and Kairi stood up.

"Hmm? Oh yes. By all means, take care out there." Yen Sid said as Aqua and Kairi turned to leave. Unfortunately they weren't the only one's about to set out…

* * *

**In the mysterious castle…**

"Wind, you idiot! What were you thinking going to that world and attacking three of the Heart-bound?" Rain yelled, scolding the unrepentant teen. The two of them, plus the rest of the warriors were gathered in the main hall of the castle.

"Come on, Rain. They had it coming!" Wind replied.

"You could have been killed. Sora is a Keyblade Master and is not to be taken lightly." Light said.

"He's right. The boy is more powerful than any one of us." Beco said as Ion and Keep both nodded in agreement.

"Yep-yep! Sora's a powerful Heart-bound!" Keep declared as she stood on her brother's back.

"**Never the less, this has presented us with a unique opportunity. You may all now have a chance to redeem yourselves for your recent failures. Des, Ion and Keep, will all return to their target worlds from before and endeavor to find the keyholes to those worlds. Light, you and Dark have a special assignment." **The Master's voices echoed from the darkness.

"What is our mission, Master?" Dark, or Garland, as he was once known, asked humbly.

"**In light of your recent success, we want you to try and locate the Heart-Bound, Sora. We have a sort of…ally working for us that will provide the boy with something of a challenge. You are not to interfere, only observe." **The Master ordered.

"We are to observe him? For what purpose?" Light asked curiously.

"**The reason for observing him is because he is a unique Heart-Bound. He possesses access to not one, but four Keyblades due to some unknown circumstances. We desire to learn and understand what has allowed this to transpire. We believe that this could be another link in the chain to understanding our existence." **The Master explained.

"I understand. I will carry out your orders." Light said with a humble bow as Beco approached.

"Excuse me master, but when you listed the names of the ones who would be redeployed, you left out mine, Rain, and Dawn's names as well as Wind and Sha's." Beco said to the masters.

"**We have special plans for you, Rain, Dawn, Wind, and Sha. Des can handle herself alone. Rain will take the lead on this mission, since her organizational skills will be more effective. Mark and Seeker have their own ongoing mission to deal with." **The Master replied.

"Very well." Beco said with a humble bow. Light was privately curious as to what Mark and Seeker's special mission was.

"**You have your assignments, now go." **The Master ordered as the warriors dispersed, leaving the Master alone in the darkness.

"Everything is going exactly as we had hoped, brother." The female voice of the master said with a sultry tone.

"Indeed it has, sister. Indeed it has." The male voice added before both started laughing a twisted and maniacal laugh.

* * *

**End Chapter 8.**


	9. The Magic Words of Bravery

It didn't take Aqua and Kairi long to arrive back at Radiant Garden. As they landed in the marketplace they almost instantly noticed Serah and Snow taking a romantic stroll nearby, but that came to an abrupt halt when they spotted the two Keyblade Wielders.

"Oh hey there, what brings you guys back so soon?" Snow asked.

"Following the trail that Master Yen Sid set us on. We're heading to the old and abandoned Heartless Castle right now." Aqua replied.

"The Heartless Castle? Isn't that where Kairi lost her heart and Xehanort possessed her?" Serah asked before covering her mouth in embarrassment, noticing the storm cloud that appeared over Kairi's head at the comment.

"Thanks for reminding me." Kairi muttered.

"Oh, am so sorry, Kairi. I didn't mean to bring that up." Serah said as Kairi looked back up with a half smile.

"It's okay Serah, I know you didn't." Kairi said before turning to Aqua, "Say, Aqua, do you mind if I just let you go and check out the castle on your own? I don't think that I could handle it."

"Is this the Princess of Heart I hear talking? The girl who captured Sora's undying love and affection saying that she's too afraid to go inside an old castle?" Serah asked in mock shock.

"Yeah come on Kairi, you're always the one who enjoys decorating for Halloween. You love a good scare." Snow said as Kairi shrugged.

"Well yeah because those kinds of scares are for fun and harmless. This is for real, and I don't think I can handle something like this. I'm still only just starting out as an apprentice after all. I only have the basic Command Styles, one of my tier two Command Styles, and only one of my Shoot Locks down. Aqua's a Master and she's got the full arsenal." Kairi said as Aqua sighed in minor frustration.

"Just because I'm a master, doesn't mean I'm not any more scared than you are." Aqua replied, earning a surprised look from Kairi.

"You get scared too?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"Of course." Aqua said before she had an idea and grabbed Kairi by the wrist before heading towards the steps.

"Where are we going?" Kairi asked as they left Snow and Serah behind.

"We're going to go see another powerful Wizard, probably and hopefully, two at the same time." Aqua said as they ran through the street.

"Huh, I wonder what's got Aqua all fired up." Serah pondered out loud.

"I'm more concerned about where your sister's hiding at the moment. Does she still have her gun trained on me or not?" Snow asked as Serah scoffed.

"Oh you big coward. Claire wouldn't-…" Serah said but was interrupted by a distant gunshot followed by a small magic pellet that impacted on the wall behind them less than an inch from Snow's head.

"You were saying?" Snow asked as he quickly dove into cover from Lightning's sniping.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Aqua and Kairi arrived outside of Merlin's house, the sounds of violence clearly echoing from inside as Merlin and Shantotto battled each other with their powerful magics.

"You're kidding me right?" Kairi asked as Aqua smirked.

"Not in the slightest." Aqua replied as she kicked open the door with her Keyblade summoned and threw up a reflega shield just as a large block of ice hit the barrier.

"Oh now look what you've done!" Merlin spat with a green beard with pink polka dots. Shantotto wasn't the slightest bit scratched.

"OH-HO-HO-HO-HO! Accusing me is a sign of jealousy. I've told you once, I'll tell you again. You really should get a new brain." Shantotto taunted in her usual rhyming scheme.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Aqua asked as Merlin magically restored his original white beard.

"Now-now, come-come in Aqua, lass. Come in and have a seat. Oh, Miss Kairi, you're here too. Please, come and join us." Merlin said as Aqua and Kairi sat down on the edge of the stone pedestal in the center of the room.

"So how goes your investigation, or are your minds completely gone due to obliteration?" Shantotto asked as she toddled over to where the two sat.

"It's kinda confusing really." Aqua replied before she and Kairi quickly brought the two up to speed.

"Such a truly intriguing tale, one which you certainly cannot fail." Shantotto said as soon as the two women had finished explaining.

"So we're supposed to investigate the old Heartless Castle, but someone who shall remain a redheaded Princess of Heart, is getting cold feet. I figured she could stand to use a little bit of encouragement." Aqua said as Shantotto and Merlin looked at each other curiously before turning back towards the two.

"Discouraged are we? Why that much we can see. Provide you with bravery, we can, or else the old one here gets a tan." Shantotto laughed, further annoying Merlin.

"I'm going to do my best to ignore that one." Merlin said as he crossed his arms.

"Anyway, I was thinking perhaps what you guys taught me to be brave. Maybe it'll work for Kairi." Aqua said as Merlin smiled.

"Oh why that would be perfect." Merlin said as Shantotto nodded in agreement.

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked.

"You see Kairi, when I was about your age, I was scared of fighting. Terra would taunt me for being scared and I was having a hard time as a result. Master Eraqus called in the Professor and Merlin and they taught me two of the most powerful magic words in existence. It's a strange term, true, but it'll give you more bravery than you can imagine." Aqua said as Kairi looked at her curiously.

"Is that how you are able to act so bravely?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded with a smile.

"It sure is." Aqua replied.

"What is it?" Kairi asked as Merlin cleared his throat and said… (Music Cue: Hakuna Matata – Disney's Lion King)

_"Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase."_

Then Shantotto piped in…

_"Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze."_

Then Aqua leapt up and sang…

_"It means no worries for the rest of your days."_

Then the three of them sang in unison…

_"It's our problem-free philosophy._  
_Hakuna Matata."_

"Hakuna ma-what-a?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Ha-ku-na ma-ta-ta. It's essentially the magic spell for instant bravery. It worked wonders for me." Aqua explained.

"Really?" Kairi asked as Merlin nodded.

"Oh, quite so…" Merlin said before he sang…

_"Why, when she was a young trainee!"_

Then Shantotto sang in an effort to outdo the Wizard…

_"When she was a young **traine-e-e-e-e-e!"**_

"Very nice." Aqua said as both she and Kairi cleaned their ears with their pinkies in an effort to get their hearing back.

"Thanks." Both wizards said in unison before Shantotto continued.

_"She found her skills did lack a certain appeal._  
_She couldn't clear the board so what was the deal?"_

Aqua then took over singing…

_"I'm a sensitive soul although I'm not thick-skinned,_  
_and it hurt when I'd always end up on the stick's short end!_  
_And oh, the shame!"_

"She was ashamed!" Merlin exclaimed as Aqua continued…

_"Thought of changin' my name!"_

"What's in a name?" Shantotto asked as Aqua continued…

_"And I got downhearted!"_

"How did you feel?" Merlin asked.

"Every time that she-…" Shantotto said before Aqua turned to her with a horrified expression.

"Don't say it! Please don't say it!" Aqua pleaded as Shantotto smirked.

"…that she failed?" Shantotto asked as Aqua groaned.

"She said it." She grumbled before they each noticed Kairi's confused expression. They quickly broke back into the song…

_"Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase._  
_Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze."_

Then Kairi, leapt up and joined in…

_"It means no worries for the rest of your days."_

"That's the spirit Kairi!" Aqua said, proudly as they sang…

_"It's our problem-free philosophy!_  
_Hakuna Matata!_  
_Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!_  
_Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!_  
_Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!_  
_Hakuna Matata! Hakuna—."_

Then Aqua and Kairi both sang in unison…

_"It means no worries for the rest of your days."_

Then they all sang in unison…

_"It's our problem-free philosophy_  
_Hakuna Matata!"_

(End Music)

"So what do you think, Kairi? You feeling brave now?" Aqua asked as Kairi gave a Sora type grin and nodded.

"You bet! I'm ready to take on the worlds!" Kairi declared as Aqua smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, let's go check out the castle." Aqua said as she headed for the door with Kairi literally skipping after her.

"Thanks for your help." Aqua said as Shantotto and Merlin both nodded.

"Oh anytime lass, any time." Merlin said with a puff of his pipe.

"Now don't forget all that you have leaned, and on that note, class is adjourned." Shantotto said as with a wave of her hand, the door shut behind the two Keyblade wielders, leaving Shantotto and Merlin to themselves.

"Don't you have any other sort of farewell statement besides that madam?" Merlin asked as Shantotto turned and glared at him with a smirk on her face.

"Why of course I do you old bag, but you'll never hear it and your skin is starting to sag!" Shantotto taunted, infuriating the wizard.

"Why you-you-you! You psycho gremlin you!" Merlin shouted before their magic duel began again.

**…**

Aqua and Kairi were approaching the Dark Depths as they continued near the castle.

"You know it's hard to believe that the last time we were here, was when we restored Terra to his senses." Aqua said as Kairi shivered slightly.

"Yeah, but it was also when Xehanort possessed me to create the X-Blade." Kairi said as Aqua thought of something.

"The X-Blade…hmm, that reminds me of something Xehanort said. The reason he needed Ven restored was because he needed to purge the remnants of the X-Blade from Ven's heart. I wonder if Master Eraqus's book has anything about that." Aqua said as she stopped and unclipped the book from her side. She quickly opened the book and started flipping through the book until she stopped at a certain page.

"Here it is. It says that whenever the X-Blade is formed, it binds itself within the hearts that forged it. If the hearts were to ever diverge, the X-Blade would split into two, leaving the fragments within both hearts. Those fragments must be purged from these hearts before the X-Blade can ever be formed once again." Aqua explained as Kairi put her hand on her chest.

"So, I have fragments of the X-Blade within my heart…and Xehanort's heart had the other. But if Xehanort's heart was destroyed…what happened to those fragments?" Kairi asked. Before Aqua could answer, they both noticed a lone black feather drift down from overhead.

"Poor little Princess, longing for answers in regards to the weapon that lies within her heart." A dark voice said from nearby. Aqua and Kairi both spun around to see a man with long flowing silver hair dressed in black with a single black feathered wing on the right side of his back, and a katana sword with an inhumanly long blade, floating down slowly towards the ground. His very presence sent chills down their spines.

"Sephiroth!" Aqua said breathlessly as the man opened his eyes, revealing a pair of catlike green eyes.

"So we meet again, little girl. I never did catch your name." Sephiroth said with a dark smile as Aqua scowled and summoned her Keyblade.

"I never gave it to you, and I'm not about to either." Aqua replied as Sephiroth turned to look at Kairi, his very gaze gave her a feeling like she was being choked to death. Sephiroth chuckled slightly before turning back towards Aqua.

"I'm looking for someone, and you tend to know where men with spiky hair are, or at least you tend to associate with them. Tell me, where's Cloud?" Sephiroth asked as Aqua stood her ground.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him. Even if I did, would I tell you?" Aqua asked as Sephiroth smiled again and turned.

"You speak truthfully. Then I guess my search continues. I shall let you pass for now." Sephiroth said as he started walking away, leaving the two to turn around and hurry towards the castle. As soon as they disappeared however, a Corridor of Darkness opened, causing Sephiroth to pause and glance over his shoulder curiously.

"Well-well…what's this?" Sephiroth asked as he saw Pete emerge from the Corridor.

"If it isn't the One Winged Angel himself. I've got a job for you if you're interested." Pete said as Sephiroth scoffed.

"Please. What could a puppet such as you have that I desire?" Sephiroth asked as Pete smiled.

"What about that kid with the spiky hair you're always after? I know exactly where he is." Pete said. He suddenly found the end of the Masamune pointed to his chin.

"What proof do you have of this?" Sephiroth asked as Pete trembled slightly.

"I don't have any. You'd just have to trust me! Please, the guys I'm workin' for now will skin me alive if I don't get your help!" Pete said as Sephiroth cocked his head to one side slightly.

"Hmm…alright, I'll help you out for now. But in the end, you will give me Cloud's location or I shall bring you only despair." Sephiroth said as Pete nodded fearfully.

**…**

Aqua and Kairi managed to make it into the castle, having run most of the way from having run into Sephiroth. They entered the now ruined main hall of the castle, the same place where Maleficent was fought and defeated a year ago by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, the same place where Kairi lost her heart, and the same place where Terra was freed of Xehanort's control but at the cost of Kairi becoming Xehanort's new host three months ago. The memories of this place caused Kairi to shiver slightly.

"Easy, Kairi. There's nothing to be afraid of here anymore." Aqua said as Kairi shrugged.

"I know. I'm saying the magic words in my mind over and over but I still feel a little bit afraid of this place. The memories haunt me." Kairi said as Aqua nodded in agreement.

"I know. I have bad memories of this place as well." Aqua replied as they moved closer into the hall. Kairi then noticed something. Growing down from the top of a flight of stairs was what appeared to be several vines of ivy with blossoming flowers.

"Well, at least there's life growing in a place once filled with darkness." Kairi said with a smile. Aqua noticed the vines as well.

"Yeah, that's true." Aqua replied with a smile. They then noticed as the vines started growing at an alarming rate, snaking towards the ground. Once the vines reached the floor, a large patch of grass and flowers blossomed up from the cracks of the cobblestone floor.

"What in the worlds?" Aqua asked in confusion as the grass spread out to fill nearly the entire chamber.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" they heard a woman's voice ask. They looked up the stairs to see a woman with flowing blue hair that resembled a crashing wave on the shore, wearing a long floor length dress with blossoming flowers and butterflies on it. She finished descending the stairs and turned towards them.

"Who?…who are you?" Aqua asked as the woman smiled politely and raised her hand out to her side, causing what appeared to be a tree to start growing underneath where her hand was. The tree grew quickly into a slightly jagged rod without branches or leaves but with multiple flowers growing around the base. The woman finally grabbed a hold of the tree with her hand and with a twist of her wrist, the tree broke free, revealing that it was no tree but actually a large scythe similar in design to the one Marluxia once wielded. Aqua and Kairi's eyes widened in surprise before they both dropped into a battle stance.

"My name is Des, and I'm sorry but I'm afraid that I must destroy you now."

* * *

**End Chapter 9.**

The song above was a slightly altered version of "Hakuna Matata" from Disney's the Lion King. I originally wanted to put Supercali from Mary Poppins but Fanfiction dot net's editing software deletes the word every time so I had to change it to Hakuna Matata.

The term Psycho Gremlin, as used by Merlin to refer to Shantotto, was coined by the reviewer Atem's Sister Atea who gave me the idea.


	10. Des & the One Winged Angel

Des had just summoned her scythe and was staring Aqua and Kairi down with a peaceful and gentle face. The two Keyblade wielders were in their fighting stances. Des noticed Kairi and chuckled softly. (Battle Music cue: Scythe of Petals – Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories OST)

"I'm sorry little one, but I'm afraid you will be unable to participate in this battle." Des said as her dress started to morph, the long floor length skirt shrinking while simultaneously transforming into a pair of skin tight pants that revealed her feet and ankles. The butterflies in her dress even fluttered off as well.

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked as Aqua narrowed her eyes on the woman. She then leapt towards her, her Keyblade raised. Des quickly spun her scythe elegantly around and blocked the blow with the bladed end. Des's smile remained as she twirled the scythe around, freeing herself from the attack.

"Aqua WATCH OUT!" Kairi shouted as Aqua quickly blocked the scythe as it aimed for her head. Aqua's eyes widened as she realized that there were now two scythe blades, one on each end of the rod.

"How did you-?" Aqua asked but Des swung at her again. Aqua managed to perform a backwards cartwheel out of the way as Kairi leapt forward to attack. Des spotted Kairi and raised her weapon to defend. Right at the last second however, Kairi's Keyblade froze in midair with a pink colored glow around it.

"Huh?" Kairi asked confused as she tried to force the Keyblade towards Des but to no avail. The Keyblade just would not move.

"I told you, little one, that you would be unable to participate in this battle." Des said as she started spinning the scythe like a fan at Kairi, creating a powerful gust of wind that blew the young Princess of Heart away.

"Kairi!" Aqua yelled as Kairi landed hard on her back but rolled, feet over head, onto her chest. Aqua leapt in between Kairi and Des, her Keyblade held in a reversed grip towards Des.

"What did you do to her?" Aqua asked angrily.

"I've merely knocked her unconscious, as was my intention. She is unable to defeat me so I merely made sure she would go the rest of the fight unharmed." Des explained, earning a confused look from Aqua.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Aqua asked before she heard Kairi groan. She turned and saw Kairi climbing to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Aqua asked as Kairi nodded and raised her Keyblade.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Kairi said as the two both turned their gaze to Des.

"Alright you, start talking!" Aqua yelled as Des sighed.

"You just don't understand. I wish you had just stayed down little one. But now you leave me no choice." Des said as she raised her left hand, her thumb, index, and middle fingers pressed together. Aqua and Kairi dropped back into their battle stances just as Des snapped her fingers. Suddenly a multitude of small blue creatures with jagged red eyes looking similar to the Shadow Heartless appeared all around them. Kairi didn't recognize them but Aqua recognized them the second they appeared and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"The Unversed! How did they get here?" Aqua asked as they saw the large swarm of Flood type Unversed around them.

"They are servants of my Master. The Master in turn, gives us command of these beings for situations such as this. Now then, Heart-Bound, we may continue our fight while the little one plays with the master's servants." Des explained as Aqua glanced at Kairi.

"Okay Kairi, you can handle them. They're no different than Heartless, in fact there's really only a physical difference between them." Aqua said as Kairi looked up at the Keyblade Master.

"But what about you, Master?" Kairi asked as Aqua summoned her armor.

"I'll be fine, you concentrate on the Unversed!" Aqua ordered as Kairi nodded and summoned her armor. The two warriors immediately leapt into their respective fights. Aqua charged at Des who spun with the scythe, leaving a wave of pink energy where the blade swung. Aqua leapt over the approaching wave with her Keyblade raised but Des quickly blocked the blow. Des then leapt back and separated the scythe into two smaller hand scythes, connected by a green vine. She then charged at the Keyblade Master, hurling the blade in her left hand at Aqua mid charge. Aqua threw up a Reflega shield and the scythe bounced harmlessly off before getting pulled back towards Des. Des managed to jump clear of the burst of light magic from the reflega before Aqua cartwheeled into action. Their blades met in a single blow, Aqua's Keyblade in a downward swing and Des's hand scythes crossed together to block.

"You are very strong, Heart-Bound. I see now why you are considered a Master." Des said as Aqua's eyes widened from within her helmet.

"Heart-Bound? What's a Heart-Bound?" Aqua asked before getting pushed away by Des.

"A Heart-Bound is what my friends and I call the chosen wielders of the Keyblade." Des explained.

"And who exactly are your friends and do they have anything to do with the Destiny Islands falling into darkness?" Aqua asked. Her question took Des by surprise. Des staggered back, eyes widened and mouth hanging open in shock and disbelief.

"What? We would never do that! You must have us mistaken for someone else!" Des replied as Aqua glanced at her Keyblade and then at Des.

"Then why are we fighting? Why attack myself and Kairi when we haven't even met before?" Aqua asked as Des sighed and reconnected her hand-scythes into the single double bladed scythe before lunging at the Keyblade Master who quickly cartwheeled clear. Des suddenly vanished in a cloud of multicolored flower petals before reappearing behind Aqua in an effort to attack from behind. Aqua quickly cast Firaga Shield as she spun around, Des recoiling at the sight of the spinning fireballs.

"I ask again! Why are we fighting?" Aqua asked but Des attacked with the scythe again. This time, Aqua blocked the scythe blade as it came around from overhead and used her foot to pin the bladeless side of the bottom blade to the ground, keeping Des from attacking.

"There! That'll keep you in place!" Aqua said. Des sighed again and shook her head. She suddenly disappeared again in the familiar shower of flower petals but this time Aqua was prepared. Aqua spun and fired a Firaga at Des who suddenly caught fire due to the spell. She started screaming in pain before falling backwards into the grass, disappearing in a pile of burnt and broken brambles before reappearing at the top of the stairs nearby. She didn't look injured but she acted like she was, using her now single bladed scythe to keep herself on her feet.

"Alright, I see we're going to have to do this the hard way!" Des said, her sweet and gentle tone now gone. She straightened up and raised her scythe in front of her. The scythe blade started to glow pink and began disintegrating into countless pink flower petals. The petals started drifting towards Aqua and suddenly each petal morphed into a single glowing pink hand scythes without the vine.

"You've left me no choice, Heart-Bound! It's time to end this!" Des declared as she raised her arm and opened her hand with her fingers pointed towards Aqua. Before she could however…

**…**

Kairi summoned her armor and quickly attacked the Unversed with her Keyblade. The Flood type Unversed were falling with only a single blow.

"I think I see why there weren't any Unversed left after Aqua and the others got through with them." Kairi said to herself as she cut down swaths of Unversed with every swing. Suddenly two new Unversed leapt up from amongst the throngs of creatures, the Scrapper and Bruiser type Unversed. They didn't go down as easily, the Bruisers causing Kairi some problems.

"Uh-oh!" Kairi yelped as she dodge rolled and quickly fired a sphere of bright light from the tip of her Keyblade. It was a special magic spell that only she could wield as a Princess of Heart turned Keyblade Wielder. It was simply called, Holy. The sphere of light immediately defeated the targeted Bruiser Unversed with only a single shot. Kairi then started reserving Holy for the Bruisers and began attacking the Scrappers, only using Holy to deal with an approaching Bruiser. She then glanced over and saw Aqua and Des still fighting each other. She turned back to see two Bruisers leap into the air. Kairi quickly aimed her Keyblade at the two Unversed, shunting as much power as she could into the Keyblade before it finally started glowing with a bright white light. She then spun around, releasing a powerful wave of light that eliminated a number of Unversed, including the two Bruisers while knocking the others back. It was the only Shoot Lock she knew, Judgment Wave.

"Alright, I'd stay back if I were you!" Kairi ordered. Without warning, a quick flash of light appeared and caused all of the Unversed to vanish as if they had been defeated. Kairi straightened up, dropping her stance and looked around curiously.

"Huh? Was that Aqua?" Kairi asked as she turned and saw Aqua and Des still fighting. Aqua had just pinned Des's scythe in place with her Keyblade and foot pressed against the weapon.

"Desperate creatures, they know nothing of darkness." A familiar voice said that made Kairi freeze in place. She turned and saw, standing with his infamously long blade held in his left hand, the cause of retreat for the Unversed.

"We meet again little girl." Sephiroth said with a smile Kairi quickly dropped into her battle stance. (Battle music change: The World's Enemy – Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core).

"You again?" Kairi asked as Sephiroth started to slowly walk towards her. She noticed as the grass around where he walked began rapidly turning brown and dying in his wake.

"So, you're a Princess of Heart. A fragile vessel for a heart of infinite light. I was expecting something more." Sephiroth said as Kairi aimed her Keyblade at the One Winged Angel.

"Stay back! I will fight you if I must!" Kairi said as Sephiroth chuckled.

"Come and try." Sephiroth said as he dropped into his battle stance. At the same time, Des had raised her hand towards Aqua, who was surrounded by floating pink hand scythes. Aqua was looking around at the scythes and caught a glimpse of Kairi and Sephiroth's standoff through the sea of scythes.

"KAIRI!" Aqua shouted as she cast Reflega, scattering the scythes with a single burst of light from the shield. Des turned and saw the Princess of Heart facing Sephiroth in a grim staring contest to see who would strike first. Sephiroth made the first move, crouching down and then launching forward into a flash of bright light that blinded all of those present. When the light faded, Kairi saw Aqua standing between her and Sephiroth who stood with an amused smirk on his face.

"Aqua?" Kairi asked curiously. Aqua then dropped to one knee in pain, grasping her right arm as her armor disappeared.

"Kairi, run!" Aqua ordered but Kairi didn't move, instead she rushed up to the injured master.

"I'm not leaving you Aqua!" Kairi said, aiming her Keyblade at Sephiroth who chuckled again.

"Such loyalty. I can see why you are a Princess of Heart now. But the light of your heart won't save you on its own." Sephiroth said as he started to float into the air, his arms stretched out to his sides.

"Descend, Heartless-…" Sephiroth was about to say before he was suddenly turned to block a blow from the most unlikely person…Des.

"Heartless! You're a Heartless!" Des said in disgust as she pressed her double scythe against the Masamune.

"Well, this is new. I don't think I've ever had the honor of fighting one of your kind in this form before." Sephiroth said as Des launched him down towards the ground with a fierce swing, sending up a cloud of dust when he hit. Des landed on the ground, her scythe ready for battle. She then glanced at Aqua and Kairi.

"Heart-Bound! Leave quickly! I shall hold off this vile beast for you!" Des shouted as Aqua and Kairi looked at each other curiously. Des suddenly felt a burst of strength. She had just been healed by a Curaga from Kairi. She glanced back at them curiously as they ran up on either side of her.

"We're not going to leave you to Sephiroth, we just won't do it!" Kairi said as Aqua nodded.

"Besides, we've got questions that still need answering!" Aqua said as the dust cleared, revealing Sephiroth glaring at them through the dust with his usual smile on his face.

"I'm not certain as to whether or not I should be surprised by this. But it is rather typical, I suppose." Sephiroth said.

"Enough of your venomous words, Heartless!" Des shouted as she leapt forward for an attack. Kairi fired off a Holy bolt that flew straight towards Sephiroth and Aqua prepared her Shiny Bloom Shoot Lock. Unfortunately, Sephiroth masterfully repelled Des, deflected the Holy and blocked each wave of Aqua's Shoot Lock.

"That was pathetic. I expected more." Sephiroth said, not noticing as a ring of glowing blue energy appeared on the ground nearby. In a flash of light a strange armored warrior appeared. The warrior was clad in a sky blue suit of armor with a horned helmet, spiked shoulders and a long blue cloak. The helmet was topped with a two-ended plume and had a thin opening that would normally be used for sight. Its armor was decorated with jewels, gold linings and beads. In its right hand was a long partly jagged sword with the tip of the blade touching the ground as the warrior rested its hand on the end of the hilt.

"Sephiroth, it is time to leave." The warrior spoke with a deep and growling man's voice.

"So the puppet got to you as well. Very well. We shall meet again." Sephiroth said as a Corridor of Darkness opened behind him and he started backing up into it.

"Farewell, imbeciles." The warrior said, disappearing in the blue ring of light as fast as he had appeared. (End music.)

"Well…that was unexpected." Aqua said as Kairi nodded. They hadn't noticed as Des had turned and walked off towards the steps. When they did notice, they turned towards her.

"Hey, wait!" Kairi shouted to the departing Des.

"Hmm?" Des asked as she stopped and turned towards them, her dress returning to its original length.

"We're not finished with you yet. We want to know who you are and why you attacked us." Aqua said as Des sighed and let go of her scythe. The scythe rooted itself in the ground where she let go of it, the blade quickly morphing into a number of small branches that spread out to all around the weapon and then sprouting lush green leaves. The bottom blade morphed into the roots.

"I wish I could explain more, Heart-Bound, but I cannot. I must return to my comrades and report my failure." Des said sadly, her sweet demeanor having returned.

"Can't you tell us anything?" Aqua asked as Des pondered for a moment before smiling sweetly and nodding.

"As a matter of fact, I can." She said before turning to Kairi, "Little one, you showed bravery in the face of great darkness. You even chose to stand by me and fight alongside of me even when you had the chance to leave me to my fate. The Keyblade you carry has chosen its wielder wisely and so I would like to leave you with a token of my appreciation."

Des then turned to the scythe-turned-tree and held her hand out under its branches. In a flash a small star shaped object appeared, dangling from the tree by a blue silken ribbon. It was a Paopu fruit keychain but with a shimmering white diamond in the center of it and a ring connected to each of the points on the star shaped fruit.

"Is that a keychain?" Kairi asked as Des smiled and nodded.

"It is, and it is yours. I hope that the next time we meet, will be under much more pleasant circumstances. Farewell." Des said as an imploding sphere of energy appeared behind her. She then turned and entered the sphere, disappearing, and allowing the sphere to close behind her. The grass remained despite her departure.

"Well, that was weird." Aqua said as Kairi approached the keychain.

"I wouldn't touch that keychain if I were you Kairi. It might just be a trap." Aqua said as Kairi turned towards her.

"No…I don't think it is. My heart tells me that this is a good thing." Kairi said as she walked up and took a hold of the keychain. The second she touched it, it broke loose from the ribbon which disappeared into the tree. She applied the keychain to her Keyblade and in a flash it had become longer and more defined. The flowers on the tooth were now adorned with butterflies, there was now a blue and red spiraling ribbon running parallel to the sand colored one down the neck and meeting at the hilt. The hilt was now a blue heart made from the crashing wave pattern on the original but now on both sides of the guard.

"It's beautiful!" Kairi declared as she held the new Keyblade in her hand.

"Yeah, it does. That could be your Keyblade's stronger form." Aqua said, confusing Kairi.

"My Keyblade's what?" Kairi asked as Aqua chuckled and unclipped Eraqus's book from her side, opening it up.

"Well, to quote the master…Every Keyblade Wielder has a base Keyblade. This Keyblade is the most basic form of the weapon. While each Keyblade can be enhanced with various Keychains, the base Keyblade itself has a stronger form. The stronger form usually bears some resemblance to the base form but is noticeably stronger in every way, both visually and physically, when compared to the base Keyblade." Aqua said as Kairi pondered.

"So this is just a stronger version of my Keyblade?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"Looks like. Do you know what it's called?" Aqua asked as Kairi looked at the new Keyblade.

"Well, my base one was called Destiny Place…but this one is called Destiny's Embrace." Kairi said. (1)

"Nice. So now I wonder what we're supposed to find here. Master Yen Sid sent us here so there must be something important to-..." Aqua said before Kairi noticed something fluttering down from one of the holes in the ceiling. It was a sheet of paper with writing on it.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Looks like it was torn from a book or something." Aqua said as she looked over Kairi's shoulder as they both read.

"_The pieces are now moving. Soon my plans will come to fruition. Terra's growing more and more resistant to my influence but Maleficent and her ilk's presence is keeping him subdued for now. Aqua and that boy she's found, the one with Ventus's heart apart of his own, have just defeated Hades and two of his Titans in Olympus Coliseum and now they are heading to Radiant Garden. Like I said earlier, my thoughts occasionally drift towards my experiment with Ventus and Vanitas. I wonder what would happen if either Ventus or Vanitas had managed to completely destroy the other's side of the heart. I suspect that the X-Blade would have been lost, naturally, but that begs the question of what would happen to those "X-Blade fragments" that Eraqus once spoke of in our many debates on the matter. What would happen to them if one of the hearts that carried them were to be destroyed? The answer will have to wait however, since now I must go and get "reacquainted" with Terra's old friend Aqua and her new apprentice. I'm certain that they'll just be __thrilled__ to see their old __friend__ again."_

Kairi looked confused but Aqua was stunned from what they had just read.

"This-…This is one of Xehanort's Reports, and a more recent one judging by what he wrote!" Aqua exclaimed as she took the paper from Kairi.

"A Xehanort Report? Are they anything like the Ansem Reports and Secret Ansem Reports that Sora collected on his adventures?" Kairi asked as Aqua nodded.

"Yeah. For some reason, Xehanort found it necessary to write out his thoughts. I guess he just enjoyed seeing his own writing or something but this is definitely something interesting. We need to be on the lookout for more of these." Aqua said as Kairi nodded.

"Yeah, they might explain who destroyed the islands." Kairi said as Aqua pocketed the report.

"I think that this is what Master Yen Sid wanted us to find. Come on Kairi; let's check in with the others." Aqua said as she and Kairi both pulled out their Lucky Charms and established the D-Link.

* * *

**End Chapter 10.**

1- Destiny Place is the Japanese name for the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade. In Reconnect Kingdom Hearts, Kairi's Keyblade was referred to as Destiny Place, so I'm keeping that as the base Keyblade name and making Destiny's Embrace the evolved form of the base form. Sort of like how Terra has Earth Shaker at first and then gets Ends of the Earth later on in the game.


	11. Axel & the Sibling Blades

Riku and Terra touched down in their Keyblade Riders in the Station Courtyard. As soon as they had dismissed their armor and riders, they approached the railing overlooking the town.

"You know, the last time I was here, was the first time since becoming Xehanort's slave that I had a moment of freedom." Terra said as he looked over the town.

"Yeah, Sora told me about that." Riku said as Terra took a deep breath.

"I just hope nothing like that ever happens again." Terra said as Riku turned towards him.

"It won't. I won't let it happen." Riku said, earning a curious look from Terra.

"Huh?"

"I told you that I'd help you learn to live with the darkness inside of you, and that includes making sure that Terra remains in control of Terra." Riku said as Terra smiled.

"Glad to know I've got someone looking over my shoulder." Terra said as Riku turned and started walking down the road. They reached the junction that split off, one route leading into the alley and the other leading into the tram commons. Riku paused and glanced towards the alley.

"Something up?" Terra asked.

"You mind taking a slight detour? I mean, the others are going to be a while with their jobs and dealing with Ansem's problem won't take long at all. I figure we could stand to kill some time." Riku said as Terra shrugged.

"It's your call. You know this place better than I do. Lead the way." Terra said as they passed through the alley. They were walking down the stairs towards the sandlot when they heard what sounded like two men shouting.

"Sounds like someone's having fun." Riku said as they finally caught sight of the sandlot. What they saw made them pause. The entire sandlot was surrounded by a quite large and quite literal ring of fire. Inside was Seifer with his struggle bat in hand and another figure with spiky red hair standing with his back turned to Terra and Riku, facing towards Seifer.

"Looks like trouble!" Terra said as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Relax Terra, I know what-TERRA!" Riku exclaimed as he saw Terra fly past him, ready to strike down whoever it was that had created the flames. Terra landed in the middle of the ring.

"Huh? WHAT IN THE-?" the red haired man exclaimed as the fire suddenly extinguished. Terra turned towards the man. The man had green eyes with blue teardrop tattoos underneath them. He wore a sleeveless orange jacket with a white, sleeveless shirt underneath, and tan, baggy pants with red and white sneakers and black socks. The pockets of his jacket were a much darker shade of orange than the rest of it. He also wore a yellow and brown keffiyeh around his neck, the pattern of which changed abruptly near his neck, from stripes to a very organized checkerboard pattern. In his hands was a pair of matching red black and silver chakrams.

"Were you the one who started the fire?" Terra asked as he pointed his Keyblade at the man who rolled his eyes.

"Duh, of course I was." The man said as Riku ran in between him and Terra.

"Terra, stand down! He's on our side!" Riku said, confusing Terra.

"What are you talking about? He's the one who started the fire! He admits it!" Terra exclaimed as Riku groaned and turned towards the man who looked at Riku curiously before his eyes widened. A grin then spread across his face as he dismissed the chakrams.

"Well-well-well. Yo Riku, long time no see." The man said as Riku smirked and nodded.

"Likewise, Axel." Riku said as Terra dropped his fighting stance and dismissed the Keyblade.

"Uh, does someone want to explain to me what's going on here?" Terra asked as Riku nodded.

"Terra, this is Axel, the last surviving member, albeit former member, of Organization XIII." Riku introduced.

"That's A-X-E-L, got it memorized?" Axel asked, tapping the side of his forehead with his right index finger.

"Okay, I thought Organization XIII was a bunch of evil Nobodies. If so, why is he still here?" Terra asked as Axel and Riku exchanged glances.

"He's not too bright is he?" Axel asked as Riku crossed his arms.

"I don't think you were listed in Aqua's summary of events of what happened here." Riku said as Terra pondered.

"Well actually she did mention a red spiky haired pervert that copped a feel on her after she, Sora, and Roxas fought together to bring down a giant Nobody." Terra said as Axel grinned.

"So she really did remember me." Axel said as Riku sighed.

"Axel you're an idiot." Riku said, earning a shrug from the former Flurry of the Dancing Flames.

"Eh, goes with the territory, but what I'd like to know is what's Superior doing here?" Axel asked, looking at Terra.

"Superior? Oh, you mean Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas." Terra said glumly as Axel nodded.

"Yeah. I can tell you're not him, but you sure are a dead ringer for him…except the hair color and the dark and evil plots to doom the worlds and all that junk." Axel said.

"It's a long story, one I'd rather not talk about." Terra said as Axel crossed his arms.

"Then I won't ask. I take it you're a friend of Riku's?" Axel asked as Terra nodded.

"Yeah, we're both Keyblade Apprentices. He's Sora's Apprentice and I'm Aqua's." Terra replied.

"So Sora made Master, that's good to hear. Oh, do you mind standing perfectly still?" Axel asked, earning a confused look from Terra. Without warning Axel hurled a fireball straight at Seifer who was attempting to sneak away. The fireball impacted against the wall in front of him, causing the youth to freeze mid step.

"Thought I was through with ya huh Seifer? I told ya, your Discipline Committee is finished as long as I'm around." Axel said as Seifer turned towards him.

"This ain't over Axel! Not by a long shot!" Seifer yelled before running off into the Tram Common.

"Coward." Axel muttered.

"What was that about?" Riku asked.

"Oh, Seifer there's been harassing my friends so I lured him here and intended on teaching him a lesson he'd never forget until you two showed up." Axel said as Riku glared at him.

"Axel, the reason Sora and Aqua let you stay here is because you had formed a heart due to the bonds you had made with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. You're not here to incinerate anyone who bullies them." Riku said as Axel crossed his arms.

"Incinerate? HA! I was just going to scare the wits out off him with the whole fire act! It worked too. Did ya see how he was skittering away like a cowardly insect? Oh well, enough about me, what brings you two here?" Axel asked.

"We're here on a mission from Ansem the Wise. He wants us to reactivate some kind of machine in his lab under the mansion." Terra said as Axel looked at the two curiously.

"I get the feeling that there's some kind of underlying cause for this mission. Something's happening out there in the worlds." Axel said as the two apprentices looked at each other before turning back and giving him a nod as Riku started to explain…

"The Destiny Islands fell into Darkness again and Sora and Ven-..." "Ven is my best friend, fellow Apprentice, and Aqua's boyfriend by the way." Terra interrupted before letting Riku continue.

"...-they were attacked by someone. We're trying to find clues leading us to who this guy was, who he's working for, why he attacked Sora and Ven, and if he has anything to do with the Islands falling into Darkness." Riku explained as Axel tapped his chin.

"And Ansem's Lab will help…how?" Axel asked.

"Ansem says he might be able to get some more up-to-date data if we reactivate some sort of relay in his lab. This was our first stop. We're supposed to wait up for the others and then head to the World that Never Was together." Terra said as Riku paused to think.

"Which reminds me. The World that Never Was is inaccessible now. It disappeared after Sora and I defeated Xemnas together. How are we supposed to check it?" Riku asked as Terra and Axel both arched eyebrows.

"The same way I got out of there. The passageway that connects Twilight Town and the World that Never Was. It's still there under the mansion." Terra said, surprising both Axel and Riku.

"Wait, you went to the World that Never Was? When?" Riku asked as Terra sighed.

"Where do you think Xehanort and I got spit out from the Realm of Darkness after you and Sora defeated Xemnas?" Terra asked back.

"I had wondered about that." Riku said.

"Well, if you guys are going to wait for the others, I don't see why I can't at least offer to help." Axel said as Riku and Terra looked at each other.

"I don't see why not. We could use someone on the other end to make sure the passage remains open." Riku said as Axel grinned.

"Then worry no more. The Flurry of the Dancing Flames is at your disposal. Got it Memorized?" Axel asked, tapping the side of his head again.

"Come on then. We shouldn't just sit around. Ansem's probably waiting for us to turn that device on." Terra said as the three of them started walking off towards the mansion.

**…**

The trio soon arrived outside the old mansion and stopped, looking up at the empty house.

"Man this brings back memories." Riku said, crossing his arms.

"Heh, I remember this place. Plenty of entertaining memories here. Let's see, I killed Vexen here…no wait that was technically in Castle Oblivion. I battled Roxas for the last time in the lab. Ach, no, that was in the Virtual Twilight Town." Axel grumbled.

"Relax, Axel. They might have been illusions or digital facades of this place but the place itself gives you memories. That's what counts." Riku said as Axel chuckled.

"Since when did you become the reassuring type?" Axel asked, earning a shrug from Riku.

"Sora's friendly and naïve ways have rubbed off on me." Riku replied.

"My few memories of this place aren't so fond. Try being possessed by a psychotic renegade Keyblade Master and forced to fight against your friends." Terra said somberly.

"That's one reason why being here is a good thing. You need to be able to confront the darkness within you and revisiting places that you visited during your time in darkness will help you deal with it. It's how I managed to eventually accept the Darkness within me." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"Good point. Thanks Riku." Terra said as Riku put a hand on his shoulder.

"Any time. It's what I'm here for. Now let's get Ansem's machine running." Riku said as they started to approach the gates to the mansion. Suddenly the gates slammed shut on their own, trapping them outside.

"What the-?" Riku yelped.

"Ha-ha-ha! Surprise!" a little girl's voice giggled. They turned around to see the black hooded teenager, Ion and the little girl, Keep, standing to his left.

"Who are you?" Terra asked curiously as Ion sniffed the air.

"Looks like you were right, Keep. They are Heart-Bound." Ion said.

"I told you, Ion! I told you they were Heart-bound!" Keep declared happily.

"Hey! Don't just ignore us like we're not even here!" Riku said angrily, earning the attention of the two people before him.

"Forgive us of our rudeness, Heart-Bound. That was unintentional. We humbly ask that you direct us to this world's Keyhole." Ion said calmly, surprising the three.

"The Keyhole? Are you the one who caused the fall of the Destiny Islands? Are you the one who plunged it into darkness?" Terra asked, summoning his Keyblade. Ion and Keep were noticeably taken aback by the question.

"Send a world into Darkness? What would there be to gain from doing that? The heart of the world would be lost if we did that and we would be unable to gather the knowledge we seek from it!" Ion replied.

"Knowledge? What kind of knowledge?" Axel asked.

"None of your bees wax, hot head!" Keep yelled, hopping up and down.

"Hot head eh? I'll take that as a compliment." Axel grinned as he summoned his chakrams.

"We'll never take you to the Keyhole. I don't even know where it is and I lived here for almost a whole year!" Riku said, summoning his Keyblade as well.

"Then why do you seek to enter the mansion, I wonder. What lies within the walls of this place that drives you to enter it? I suspect that the keyhole is there, or at least, there is something there that can help us find it." Ion said.

"Does Ansem's computer have the location of the Keyhole in it?" Terra asked as Riku shrugged.

"Anything's possible. Either way, we can't let them get it." Riku said.

"You may attempt to keep us out, but you will not keep out our master's servants." Ion said as he snapped his fingers, summoning a swarm of Flood and Scrapper type Unversed on the other side of the fence. Terra's eyes widened at the sight of the Unversed who started scrambling towards the Mansion doors. (Battle Music Cue: Vim and Vigor – KHII Soundtrack)

"Unversed!" Terra exclaimed as Axel disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness and reappeared in front of the mansion's front doors.

"You guys deal with those two! I'll deal with these punks!" Axel shouted as he snapped his fingers, creating a wall of flames over the front doors to the mansion. Riku and Terra nodded to each other and turned towards Ion and Keep.

"You're not getting past us!" Terra said. Ion scowled angrily.

"If you will not stand aside, then we shall step over your corpses!" Ion said as he thrust his left arm out to the side towards Keep. Keep suddenly started glowing with a crisp white light before leaping towards Ion. She was enveloped in the light and once it vanished, Keep was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a large white bladed sword, almost as tall as Ion. The large blade was shaped like a stylistic arrow with the symbol on Keep's tiara on the side of the blade. The guard was nonexistent but a pair of circular rings on the sides of the blade. The hilt was T shaped like the handle on a farming implement but with the familiar chain connected to the bottom of the hilt. (A/N: For a visual reference in terms of shape, refer to Jecht's sword from Final Fantasy X & Dissidia).

"Did that girl just become a sword?" Terra asked in shock. Ion didn't reply, instead shifting the sword across to his right hand, the chain magically adding a second connection from his right side and the chain on the left side disconnecting immediately after the second connection was made. Ion then squatted down with the blade in his hand.

"You ready, Keep?" Ion asked. The sword started glowing for a second as Keep's voice resonated from within the blade.

"_Ready when you are, Ion!"_ Keep replied as the glow disappeared.

"Then let's do this." Ion said before he and the two Keyblade wielders leapt towards each other. Terra's Keyblade connected first with the sword but he quickly leapt back as Riku slid in with his attack but Ion was swift and blocked the attack. He suddenly leapt into the air, the sword raised high and with white and black energy emanating from him before he suddenly launched down at the two. Riku and Terra leapt clear just as Ion spun, sending two waves of magic, one of light and one of darkness, at them. Riku used Dark Shield, as Terra leapt behind him. The waves harmlessly impacted on the shield.

"Darkness and Light wielded by one guy? Is that even possible?" Terra asked as Riku shook his head.

"He has Darkness, but the girl has Light. They're working in tandem like Light and Darkness is supposed TO!" Riku shouted as he fired off Dark Firaga at Ion but he merely raised his empty hand and caught the Dark Firaga in midair.

"You are correct, Heart-Bound, I wield Darkness and Keep wields Light. We work in tandem and so we are immune to Light and Darkness magic." Ion said, absorbing the Dark Firaga magic before he prepared to charge again.

"I'll bet you're not immune to regular magic though! Thunder!" Terra shouted as he cast Thundaga. The Thundaga would have struck Ion from overhead but he was fast and blocked with Keep's sword form. Ion charged at them once again, making a serious of vicious slashes at them in the air, leaving a trail of light where he swung the sword. Terra and Riku both leapt clear of his attacks before turning back towards him. Terra turned and fired a Blizzaga while Riku summoned his armor and charged at Ion. Ion quickly deflected the Blizzaga and blocked Riku in a single swing, pressing the sword against Riku's Keyblade.

"Is this all you have, Heart-Bound? I sense Darkness within the both of you, yet you do not tap into its power." Ion said to Riku between their blades. Riku didn't reply, instead leaping backwards just as Terra came in with a leaping swing of his Keyblade, also clad in his armor. Terra's attacks were strong and powerful but Ion was able to match him blow for blow.

"_Ow! Not so hard, Ion!" _Keep said as her sword form glowed.

"Sorry, sister. We need to end this quickly." Ion said as he glanced towards the front doors of the mansion where Axel was easily cutting through the Unversed in piles. Ion leapt back, snapping his fingers as he jumped. In an instant, the Flood and Scrapper Unversed were joined by Blue Sea Salt type Unversed. The Blue Sea Salt immediately started barraging the fire wall with Blizzard spells which Axel quickly started deflecting.

"Oh, no ya don't!" Axel growled as he started using his powers to obliterate the new Unversed. Ion looked at his sister's sword form.

"It's time, Keep." He said as Keep started glowing and a black aura of darkness started rising up from his head and shoulders. In a flash, Keep had returned to her normal human form but Ion had become a small ninjato (ninja sword) with a black grip, jagged black blade and the familiar chain running from the bottom of the hilt to the chains around Keep's waist. She held Ion's weapon form backwards in her right hand.

"Oh great! They both become swords!" Riku grumbled as Keep giggled.

"Yep-yep! Wish we could stay and play some more but we've gotta go. See ya later!" Keep said before she swiftly and quickly bolted past them and in a flash had leapt over the gate, landing on the other side and then charging towards Axel. Axel saw her coming and attempted to make a swing at her but Keep was fast and managed to block with Ion's ninjato form while still moving past him. She then turned in midair and pointed the tip of the blade at the wall of fire, casting a Blizzaga spell and putting out the flames before plowing both feet into Axel's back and launching herself inside the mansion, simultaneously knocking Axel to the floor.

"She's broken through!" Terra exclaimed as the gates started to slowly swing open. He and Riku immediately gave chase, cutting through the remaining Unversed as they approached Axel.

"Are you alright?" Riku asked as Axel scrambled to his feet.

"That little punk is fast!" Axel replied as the three gave chase only to run into several Bruiser type Unversed. Ion and Keep stood in their human forms on the second level near the library door which housed the entrance to the lab. Keep quickly leapt onto Ion's back before the latter turned and ran through the door just as the trio finished off the last of the Bruisers.

"We can't let them get away!" Riku said as they hurried up the stairs, into the library, and through the lab's computer room. Surprisingly, once they arrived in the basement hall, they saw Ion and Keep standing before the swirling green and black portal that led to the World that Never Was. (End battle music.)

"You have each fought admirably. We commend you for your skill and determination." Ion said calmly.

"That's not the Keyhole you know." Riku said as Ion nodded.

"We're fully aware of that. We extend to you, and your fellow Heart-Bound, this piece of enticement. If you wish to know who and what we are, you will follow Keep and myself through this portal to the World that Never Was. I promise you this however. We are not responsible for the fall of the world you mentioned earlier. That said, we shall meet on the other side." Ion said as he and Keep backed up and into the portal, disappearing inside.

"This is not good." Terra said as Axel nodded.

"You're telling me." Axel said.

"Do you suppose that they attacked us to lure us here?" Riku asked as he turned and walked back into the computer room.

"It's possible. If they were, then that means they're trying to draw us into a trap." Terra said as Riku sat down at the computer.

"Heh. Anyone tries to trap you guys are gonna pay dearly. If I know Sora, and you know I do in a way, he's not going to let a little trap stop him." Axel said as Riku started operating the computer. After a second the computer chimed.

"There. Ansem should be getting the information he needs." Riku said. He was about to turn away when the computer chimed again. He turned back and saw a simple text message on the screen.

"_Thanks, Riku."_

"Oh, Ansem's online it seems." Riku said as he stood up from the computer.

"We better check in with the others. They'll want to hear about this." Terra said.

"How are you guys gonna do that?" Axel asked curiously.

"Dimension Link. It's an advanced technique for Keyblade wielders." Terra replied, pulling out his lucky charm. Riku pulled out his as well.

"Axel, make sure the portal stays open for us. We'll be back in a second." Riku said before he and Terra established the D-Link.

**

* * *

**

End Chapter 11.

In case you're wondering, yes Axel's wearing Lea's outfit from Birth by Sleep. It's only fitting since Lea is Axel's other.


	12. The Mimic & the Void

Ven and Sora were flying through the stars towards Mirage Arena, talking as the world they sought finally came into view.

"I sure hope we don't have a repeat of the last time you were at Mirage Arena." Ven said as Sora nodded.

"Yeah. Fighting Luxord again and then having to fight Sephiroth is not a good day." Sora said as they touched down on the external platform of the arena before dismissing their Keyblade Riders. Their armor remained active.

"So what shall we do first? Fight some fake targets or maybe each other, or hey maybe you can give the Command Board a try." Ven said before Sora motioned to wait.

"Hang on, there's someone else already here." Sora said as Ven turned and looked through the semitransparent sphere of the arena's lobby area. Sure enough he could make out a single figure standing inside.

"Any idea who it is?" Ven asked. Sora shook his head.

"Nope. Come on, let's go at least be friendly." Sora said before stepping onto the teleporter and was immediately beamed into the arena along with Ven. Their helmets then disappeared while the rest of their armor remained.

"Hello there!" Sora called to the person. The person was a teenaged boy with brown hair and an outfit composed of different shades of blue and white, with a blue cape and leggings and gold trimmings. He turned towards them curiously.

"Huh? Oh, hey! Nice to see a friendly face! Wasn't expecting two though." the boy said as Ven and Sora approached.

"We weren't expecting to find someone else here either. So we're all kinda surprised huh?" Ven asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. Oh, where are my manners? The name's Bartz, Bartz Klauser. World Traveler." The boy declared proudly.

"I'm Sora and this is my friend and Apprentice, Ventus." Sora introduced, Ven nodding at the mention of his name.

"Call me Ven." Ven added.

"Apprentice huh? What kind of Apprentice?" Bartz (Final Fantasy V) asked curiously.

"I'm a Keyblade Apprentice, and Sora's my acting Master. He's a true Master of the Keyblade." Ven explained as Bartz looked intrigued.

"A Keyblade huh? I've never heard of anything called a Keyblade before. Is it some kind of sword? Or is the Keyblade some kind of magic key with a cool name?" Bartz asked as Sora and Ven looked at each other and shrugged before summoning their Keyblades.

"The Keyblade is both actually. It's a sword and a key rolled into one. They hold unimaginable power." Sora explained as Bartz smiled with great interest.

"Plus the cool name." Ven added.

"Wow, looks cool. Mind if I hold it for just a second?" Bartz asked as Sora smirked.

"Okay." Sora said, handing Bartz his Keyblade. The Keyblade hadn't even been in his hand for more than a second when it suddenly vanished from Bartz's hand and reappeared in Sora's.

"Wha-? How did you do that?" Bartz asked in shock.

"The Keyblade can only be wielded by its chosen wielder." Ven replied as Bartz crossed his arms in appreciation.

"Huh, now that's an impressive weapon. And here I thought that there wasn't a single weapon I couldn't wield." Bartz said, causing Sora and Ven to look at each other, confused.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked. Bartz shrugged.

"Alright, I'll show you what I mean." Bartz said as he stretched out his hand. In a flash, a sword appeared in his hand.

"How did you do that?" Sora asked in surprise. Bartz smirked and in another flash the sword had been replaced by a single curved and jagged dagger before getting replaced yet again by a black and jagged lance. It then disappeared again in the familiar flash.

"I'm a Mimic. I can create imitations of other people's weapons and powers. I've only got a sparse arsenal right now but every time I make a new friend, I get the ability to summon an imitation of their weapon. I can't seem to make any imitations of yours though. I guess those Keyblades are just too unique for me to imitate." Bartz said with a shrug.

"Maybe so. But hey, don't give up. Being able to fight and wield many weapons, reminds me of someone I met here not long ago. Perhaps you've met him, a guy named Firion?" Sora asked as Bartz chuckled.

"Firion? Yeah I know him. Nice guy, lots of cool weapons. Our paths have crossed more than a few times in our travels." Bartz said.

"You travel a lot?" Ven asked.

"Yep. Like I said, I'm a world traveler. I travel between worlds. My goal is to be the first guy to have visited every world in existence!" Bartz declared proudly.

"How many worlds have you visited?" Sora asked curiously. Bartz smiled.

"I've visited a grand total of…one." Bartz said, slumping over in frustration.

"Huh?" Sora and Ven asked in unison.

"This is the first world I've visited besides my homeworld. I came here to try and gain some skill with my Mimicry abilities before setting out into the worlds so I can face both my greatest fear and whatever darkness lies out there." Bartz said.

"That's a good goal to aim for." Sora said.

"Hey, maybe we can help. You mind sparring with us some? Sora's a Keyblade Master so if you can best him, then you could probably best anyone." Ven said as Sora nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, how about it?" Sora asked as Bartz smiled.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate the offer. It means a lot to me." Bartz said.

"We'd be honored to help you out." Sora said as Ven tapped his chin.

"Hey, I'm just curious. You said that you wanted to face both the darkness and your greatest fear. What is that exactly?" Ven asked as Bartz gulped nervously and glanced out the semitransparent walls of the arena lobby.

"My greatest fear…is-…" Bartz was about to say before a deep and gravelly man's voice was heard laughing maliciously.

"Your greatest fear is of the void." The voice said as a ring of glowing blue energy appeared nearby. In a flash of light a strange armored warrior appeared. The warrior was clad in a sky blue suit of armor with a horned helmet, spiked shoulders and a long blue cloak. The helmet was topped with a two-ended plume and had a thin opening that would normally be used for sight. Its armor was decorated with jewels, gold linings and beads. In its right hand was a long partly jagged sword with the tip of the blade touching the ground as the warrior rested its hand on the end of the hilt.

"You?" Bartz yelped, summoning the sword from earlier. The armor clad warrior approached him slowly.

"You fear the emptiness of the void. I have no patience for fools such as you." The warrior said. Sora and Ven could feel the darkness pouring from around the warrior as he stood before them.

"Who are you, what do you want with Bartz?" Sora asked as the warrior paused and looked down at Ven and Sora.

"Hmph. Two tiny excuses for humans. I do not have the time to deal with you right now. This boy's destiny only leads to the void." The warrior said as Bartz trembled slightly.

"Back off, Exdeath! I'm not afraid of you!" Bartz said, earning an amused laugh from the warrior.

"You speak as if you are confident, but I see the emptiness of your words. You fear the void that lies within you. You fear the darkness within it. You are a coward." Exdeath (Final Fantasy V) said tauntingly.

"I'll show you who's a coward!" Bartz shouted as he leapt at Exdeath who merely conjured a large red, decorative circle between him and Bartz. The second Bartz's blade hit the circle; he was blown back by two massive blue bursts of pulsating energy.

"Did you think that would work? You are more than a coward, you are a fool." Exdeath said as he turned away.

"Hey! Don't turn your back on us!" Sora shouted, but Exdeath ignored them.

"Come back here!" Ven shouted, hurling his Keyblade at the departing Exdeath. Before the blade hit, Exdeath's sword suddenly flew around and blocked the blow. The sword was floating in midair, as if by magic. Exdeath stopped, now standing in the dead center of the lobby platform. He turned towards the two Keyblade wielders.

"Hmph. Foolish children playing with their toys. You cannot stand against the power of the Void." Exdeath said.

"Would this void happen to be nothingness, like as in Nobodies?" Sora asked. Exdeath gave a haughty sniff.

"Even Nothingness is powerless before the Void. You speak as if you know of such things." Exdeath said as Sora scowled at him.

"I've faced Heartless and Nobodies before, powerful ones, and I've beaten them all. Darkness doesn't scare me, neither does Nothingness." Sora replied as Exdeath grasped his sword.

"I will assume that the blade in your hands is a symbol of your heart's power. But what could two meager children know of such power?" Exdeath said as Ven snarled.

"Hey! Sora's a Master of the Keyblade! He's faced worse than you!" Ven said.

"Sora? Ah, one of the Keyblade Masters. I have heard of you. Very well, Sora, Master of the Keyblade. If you wish to prove to me that the power of your heart is greater than that of the Void, then you need only to follow me to light's end." Exdeath said as a glowing blue circle appeared beneath his feet and he disappeared, leaving a glowing blue pillar of light where he once stood.

"Are you really going to face him, Sora?" Ven asked as Sora started to approach the pillar.

"He might be the one who caused the Islands to fall into Darkness. If he is, then now's our chance to stop him. If he's not, then he might know who is responsible or know someone else who might know. I have to find out." Sora said as his helmet appeared on his head.

"But what about Bartz?" Ven asked as he turned and looked at the unconscious Bartz. Sora immediately cast Curaga on the unconscious teen.

"He'll be alright. Come on, we can defeat Exdeath for him and he'll be free to travel the worlds without Exdeath always challenging him." Sora said as Ven smiled and nodded.

"You're right Sora, let's go." Ven said as his helmet appeared on his head and they both charged into the portal. Not long after they disappeared, Bartz was still unconscious as two figures approached.

"That creature…was he a Heartless?" Light asked as he looked down at Bartz.

"No, that creature is the embodiment of this boy's fear. His fear is only empowered by his own fear of venturing amongst the stars. Exdeath is but his fear in physical form and fear is only strengthened by darkness. That is why you assumed that Exdeath is of darkness. If he were to defeat Exdeath, then his fear will be conquered." Dark explained as Light turned towards him.

"And if Sora and the other Heart-Bound defeat him?" Light asked as Dark chuckled sinisterly.

"They might win a battle or two, but they will inevitably fall to the creature's power. They can strike him down as many times as they want, but unless the boy defeats him, he will survive forever like the Void he so greatly fears." Dark said as Light looked back down at Bartz and then at the portal. He then started walking towards the portal but was stopped by Dark.

"Where are you going, brother?" Dark asked.

"I'm going to assist Sora. He and the other Heart-Bound will require aid in the battle." Light said as Dark grabbed him by the arm.

"The Master's orders were to observe Sora, not assist him. He is a Heart-Bound and our enemy. We cannot aid him." Dark said as Light looked away from Dark.

"Very well. I shall watch for now." Light said reluctantly as Dark nodded approvingly.

"Good. Now then, brother. Let us see how this battle turns out." Dark said as they turned their attention to the giant sphere overhead.

**…**

Sora and Ven emerged from the portal and stepped out onto the grass outside of what appeared to be a large rectangular castle with four cone roofed towers at all four corners of the castle. They started looking around and saw that the sky around them was a clear blue with a few clouds. They then noticed what looked like four large window-like portals that showcased a variety of landscapes, each different than the next. They then realized that the castle was floating in midair with absolutely nothing holding it up and with four large square platforms in each corner. (A/N: For FF Dissidia owners, it's "The Void" arena)

"Where are we?" Ven asked finally.

"I think we're still in the arena. If I remember correctly, the arena creates an environment from the memories of the competitors…only problem is; I don't remember ever being in this place." Sora said before they noticed a glowing blue circle appear on the ground in front of them. They quickly summoned their Keyblades just as Exdeath appeared.

"You are correct, Master of the Keyblade, the arena simulates the environment familiar to the competitor. This arena is a place familiar to the weakling's memory." Exdeath explained.

"The weakling? You mean Bartz!" Sora said as Ven paused with a curious expression.

"But wait, if this is a place from Bartz's memories, then how do you know of it?" Ven asked.

"Well where do you think he came from in the first place, kiddo?" a familiar voice asked. Sora and Ven quickly spun around to see…

"Hyah kids! Bet you thought you had seen the last of the mighty Pete didn't ya?" Pete asked with his arms crossed.

"Pete? How did you escape the Realm of Darkness? King Mickey sent you there himself!" Sora asked in surprise.

"That's a little secret I'm gonna keep to myself. Needless to say, I've got a new boss now and I'm busy building them an army of Heartless like I did Xehanort and Maleficent before you guys got rid of them." Pete explained.

"Are you and Exdeath working together or something?" Ven asked as Exdeath snorted in bemusement.

"Well, not really. I told him I'd give him the kid in the lobby if he'd join me in creating the Heartless army. He demanded that I give him the kid first before he helped so I did." Pete said, putting his hands on his hips.

"You led Exdeath here after Bartz?" Ven exclaimed in shock. Sora remained silent while glaring at Pete in silent anger.

"Yep, and boy was I surprised when I noticed that you two were here. Gives me a chance to settle the score with ya!" Pete said with a dark laugh. Finally Sora stepped forward towards Pete, earning a curious look from Ven.

"Pete, as a Master of the Keyblade, you have given me no choice but to send you back to the Realm of Darkness to carry out your full sentence from King Mickey." Sora said as he pointed his Keyblade at Pete who merely grinned and laughed menacingly.

"You can certainly try bub. But my new friends will bail me out as many times as they need to." Pete said as Sora scowled.

"Sora, it's possible whoever let Pete out, might be the same people who caused the Islands to fall into Darkness." Ven said as Pete looked intrigued.

"Wow, they do work fast. A world fell into darkness already, then there's bound to be plenty of new heartless there. Thanks for the tip spiky! Play nice with Exdeath!" Pete said before letting loose a maniacal cackle and he suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

"ARRG! Come back here Pete!" Sora yelled at where Pete had vanished. Ven sighed in frustration at Pete's departure, right before he saw something fly past him. It was a massive pulsating blue burst of energy aimed right at Sora.

"SORA!" Ven exclaimed just as Sora spun around in time and batted the burst of energy back towards Exdeath who quickly blocked.

"Now then, Master of the Keyblade, let us test your strength." Exdeath said as Sora and Ven dropped into their fighting stances and their helmets appeared on their heads, ready to fight the creature of the Void.

* * *

**End Chapter 12.**


	13. Exdeath & Sora's Light

(Battle Music Cue: Clash on the Big Bridge – Final Fantasy V, FF Dissidia OST) Sora and Ven were standing ready to strike in an instant. Exdeath stood with his sword in hand. Sora charged in first, Keyblade raised with Ven right behind him. Exdeath simply caused a pentagon of glowing blue energy to appear in front of him just as Sora swung his Keyblade at him. The Keyblade harmlessly bounced off the shield just as a powerful black tornado instantly formed around Exdeath, spinning Sora around in the air before launching him away.

"Sora!" Ven exclaimed. He had managed to stop before the tornado appeared. Sora pulled an aerial recovery and landed on a lower level of the arena. Ven turned back to see Exdeath approaching him with his sword reared back.

"Feel the void!" Exdeath said before he swung but Ven leapt up and over Exdeath just in time. Ven quickly spun around with his Keyblade and delivered a painful upwards swing with his Keyblade up Exdeath's back. Exdeath grunted in pain before quickly summoning a yellow sphere to appear around him just as Ven swung his Keyblade around for another attack but, like Sora's Keyblade, it bounced off harmlessly. Ven was suddenly catapulted into the air by a near instantaneous upwards swing of Exdeath's sword. Ven landed on the top of the castle's flat roof. He quickly scrambled to climb to his feet, his armor having withstood the blow from Exdeath's blade. He turned and saw the familiar blue circle on the ground on the opposite side of the roof.

"Is that all a Master and Apprentice of the Keyblade can offer? Pitiful." Exdeath said, shaking his armored head in disappointment.

"You haven't seen anything yet!"

Exdeath quickly whirled around in time to see Sora fly into him with his Keyblade summoned and deliver a painful blow to the stomach. He had used his Keyblade Rider to reach the top of the castle and then converted the Rider back to its Keyblade form before delivering the blow. Exdeath was thrown off the roof of the castle from the blow but he vanished in a blue flash of light.

"Nice one, Sora!" Ven said.

"Thanks." Sora replied. Without warning, something unexpected happened. The large rectangular castle beneath their feet suddenly vanished in a white glow, only to reappear in another part of the arena in midair. The base of the castle remained but with a large square of a liquid purple substance in the spot where it once stood. The four towers had vanished and reappeared elsewhere, upside-down, sideways or even at an angle all around the arena. Sora and Ven were dropped onto the purple substance just as Exdeath reappeared on the grassy ring around the purple area.

"If that is all you can offer, then I do believe your abilities have been greatly exaggerated." Exdeath said as Sora and Ven dropped back into their battle stances. Sora said nothing, charging at Exdeath but quickly stopping and aiming his Keyblade at the warlock. Ven quickly ran up next to Sora and did the same thing.

"What is this?" Exdeath asked curiously before suddenly Sora leapt forward but landed just in front of Exdeath, and drove his Keyblade into the ground, causing a large symbol to appear on the ground (A/N: The symbol from the Trinity Limit slight in Chain of Memories) before suddenly causing a single mighty pillar of Light to erupt from the ground within the symbol. It was one of Sora's Shoot Locks, the Trinity Drive. Exdeath was dazed as Sora leapt back just as Ven fired off his Lightning Ray Shoot Lock. He became surrounded in an electrical charge before launching at Exdeath, striking him lightning fast several times from different angles as he attacked. Exdeath could hardly respond but finally Ven clashed with him for the final time, landing back at where Sora was with the electrical charge gone. Exdeath staggered forward slightly in pain as he attempted to stay on his feet.

"It seems I underestimated your strength, Master of the Keyblade. But if such is the case…" Exdeath said as he started to straighten up. Black energy started rising from around him suddenly as his armor suddenly turned dark blue and the yellow seams in his armor became more distinguished. (A/N: Neo Exdeath/Dissidia EX Mode)

"…then I shall not hold back any further." Exdeath said as Sora and Ven quickly dropped back into their battle stances. Exdeath then leapt into the air slightly creating a glowing round light yellow and blue symbol in the air in front of him.

"Death APPROACHES!" Exdeath shouted before a powerful beam of energy burst forward from the center of the circle.

"VEN! WATCH OUT!" Sora exclaimed as quickly shoved Ven out of the way but at the cost of being hit head on by the blast and catapulted across the arena.

"SORA!" Ven exclaimed as he saw Sora collide with the floating castle and knocked unconscious. His armor had fortunately borne the brunt of Exdeath's Delta Attack but returned to Sora's shoulder guard. Ven turned back to Exdeath who started laughing sinisterly.

"Foolish mortals. You cannot withstand the power of the Void." Exdeath said as he turned his attention to Ven. Ven quickly leapt back and cast Aeroga, creating a whirlwind where he stood, but Exdeath remained unfazed. Ven quickly cast it again, but still nothing. Now Exdeath was approaching Ven, slowly walking as usual. Ven leapt back again before charging at Exdeath. The Warlock threw up the red circular energy shield he had used against Bartz but Ven stopped before he even touched the shield. He quickly slid around to behind Exdeath and delivered another fierce blow, knocking Exdeath into the air. Ven leapt up after him and proceeded to deliver a fierce downward blow to the confused Warlock. Exdeath crashed into the ground, bouncing forward onto his chest before climbing up onto his feet. Exdeath glared at Ven who suddenly began glowing with a yellowish light, the light of his Speed Rave Command Style. He quickly sidestepped another of Exdeath's shields and started barraging the slow reacting Exdeath with multiple quick attacks. Exdeath finally attempted to attack, swinging his sword around but Ven blocked, causing Exdeath to stagger slightly, giving Ven another opening which he promptly took. Ven cast Magnega, this time Exdeath was forced to stand against the powerful magnetic pull but this was enough as Ven entered the Wing Blade Command Style, allowing him to unleash even more ferocious attacks on the Warlock, culminating in Ven's throwing down the six blades of light in a hexagonal form around Exdeath that released a sudden burst of powerful light before he finally landed. Exdeath dropped to one knee in agony.

"That oughta teach you what us Keyblade wielders can do." Ven said as his helmet disappeared, revealing a grin on his face. He didn't expect Exdeath to start laughing.

"Foolish mortal. You don't understand the power of the Void." Exdeath said as the black energy appeared around him again. He then started standing up, looking no worse for wear.

"What the-?" Ven said as he started backing away from the fully revived Exdeath who started walking towards him.

"You cannot stop the void. Grovel before its power!" Exdeath declared as he waved his empty hand before him, opening up a strange imploding black hole in the air behind Ven. Ven attempted to keep from being pulled into it but Exdeath was getting closer.

"Uh, Sora! A little help!" Ven shouted to the still unconscious Sora. Sora didn't react, and Ven suspected that he was probably in the fight alone.

**…**

He couldn't see anything, only darkness. He could smell the distinct smell of seawater and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. He could also hear the sound of gulls overhead. He then heard the sound of footsteps on wood planks nearby.

"(Sigh) Come on, Sora, you lazy bum. Let's get you on your feet." A girl's voice said. The voice was familiar and he knew whose it belonged to.

"Yeah come on, up we go!" a familiar boys voice said. This one Sora recognized as what he assumed was Ven's. He felt himself being grabbed by the arms and hoisted onto his feet. He opened his eyes to see he was back on the Destiny Islands. The sun overhead shining brightly.

"Huh? My Island, but how?" Sora asked confused as he looked around.

"Hate to burst your bubble; buddy, but these aren't the Destiny Islands." A voice that sounded eerily like his own said. Sora turned and saw three people behind him. It was Roxas, Xion, and a third person, one who looked exactly like him. The only difference was the color of his clothes. The clothes were the exact same as Sora's own, but minus the Master's haori and the colors had been reversed. Instead of the black with white lining, it was now white with black lining. His shoes were black with yellow crisscrossing stripes as well. The crown necklace around his neck was black however. Xion was still in her Organization XIII robes but Roxas was in his Twilight Town garb.

"Roxas? Xion? What are you guys doing here?" Sora asked confused. He then noticed that his own Haori was missing.

"These aren't the Islands, Sora. You're inside your heart." Roxas said as Xion and the other Sora nodded.

"Yeah. You got knocked unconscious." Xion added.

"So…I'm in my heart? Shouldn't I be in that weird, "Station of Awakening" place then?" Sora asked as the other Sora laughed in amusement.

"The heart takes the form of the place you call home. Kinda of a literal interpretation of the old cliché, "Home is where the heart is." The other Sora replied before earning curious looks from the other three.

"Who are you exactly?" Sora asked as the other him smiled and shrugged.

"You don't know who I am? Oh that's easy. I'm the light of your heart, Sora." The other Sora replied.

"The Light of my Heart?" Sora asked confused.

"Uh-huh. You might not realize it, Sora, but you have a heart of pure light, thanks to Ventus." Light Sora said.

"Ven? How did he do that?" Xion asked.

"Yeah. How did Sora get a heart of pure light from Ven?" Roxas asked as Light Sora crossed his arms.

"Well, let me ask this. Did anyone know that Ventus had a heart of pure light as well?" Light Sora asked.

"Yeah. Xehanort removed the darkness from Ven's heart, creating Vanitas, a heart of pure darkness. Ven's heart became made of pure light. Then Sora got Ven's heart and carried it for ten years until he finally became a master and restored Ven's heart to his body." Roxas explained.

"You've been paying attention, but did you know that Ventus's heart bled Light into Sora's as Sora grew stronger?" Light Sora asked as the three pondered.

"So…Ven's heart fed Light into my heart?" Sora asked confused as Light Sora nodded.

"Uh-huh. Ventus's heart slowly but surely evaporated all the darkness within your heart during your time as Aqua's Apprentice. As Ventus's heart awakened, more and more of his light was fed into your Heart, eventually wiping out all darkness within you, and making you the male equivalent of a Princess of Heart." Light Sora explained, causing Roxas and Xion to look at Sora and burst out laughing.

"What?" Sora asked as he scrunched up his nose in irritation.

"Sora's a Princess." Roxas bawled.

"It's not that funny!" Sora argued.

"Yes it is! It's hysterical!" Xion giggled, hanging onto a nearby tree for support. Light Sora simply stood with his arms crossed, looking silently at the two.

"Anyway, the result of Ventus's heart, purging the darkness from within you, caused me to manifest within you." Light Sora said as the laughing died down.

"I see. Uh-oh! Ven! He might be in danger with Exdeath!" Sora exclaimed as he turned away from them.

"Then we'll let you get back to the matter at hand. I suggest giving Exdeath everything you've got. You can dodge his shields and attack him from different angles. That should give you enough of an opportunity to bring him down." Light Sora said as Sora nodded. Beams of light started appearing in the ground beneath him.

"Right, wish me luck guys." Sora said before the whole area was enveloped in light.

"Uh Sora! A little help!" Sora heard Ven shouting. Sora opened his eyes and saw Ven backing up towards a black hole while Exdeath continued to approach him. Sora quickly leapt to his feet and summoned his Keyblade, aiming it at Exdeath. He quickly fired off his Ragnarok Ultima Shoot Lock, a large circle of red and yellow energy appearing at the tip of his Keyblade and firing off multiple streams of golden light at Exdeath. The beams crashed into Exdeath, sending the warlock flying. The black hole behind Ven even closed up. Ven turned and saw Sora leap towards the main castle platform, using his Keyblade Rider to close the distance.

"Thanks for the help, Sora." Ven said as Sora nodded and summoned his armor again.

"Anytime, Ven. Any ideas how to take him down?" Sora asked as Ven shook his head.

"I hit him with my unique Tier Two but he's still standing!" Ven replied as Exdeath reappeared before them in the circle of blue energy on the ground.

"Did you think that would work? Pitiful creatures. All you can do is show your bravado while you still can. You cannot defeat me." Exdeath said as he raised his sword. But as he did…

"They may not, but I bet that I CAN!"

Suddenly Exdeath was hit by a thrown hand axe that hit him from behind and then boomeranged back, pulling him along with it, just before getting hit by a flourish of attacks from a pair of long curved and serrated daggers. Exdeath was launched into the air, revealing Bartz standing with the daggers in hand.

"Bartz! You're alright!" Sora exclaimed as Bartz grinned cheerfully.

"I couldn't just stand idly by and let two friends of mine fight my battles for me. Besides, Exdeath is a result of my own fear of traveling through the void of space. That's why he exists. I'm the only one who can defeat him so I might as well defeat him now while I've got the chance. That said, here we go!" Bartz said as he leapt up to the disoriented and still airborne Exdeath.

"The four essences!" Bartz shouted as the twin daggers, sword, hand axe, and lance appeared in the air around him and suddenly converged into him as spheres of light. He suddenly summoned both the sword and the axe before flying into Exdeath, delivering a fierce blow and flying past. He then summoned the twin daggers and the lance before turning and delivering another attack. He then summoned the sword and kept the daggers before attacking again. Finally he summoned the sword and the lance before attacking once more. He then turned with the weapons he could mimic overhead in a crescent formation.

"Let's go!" Bartz shouted as the weapons converged into a single red sword which Bartz grabbed a hold of and then launched himself towards Exdeath.

"For a SHINING **WORLD!**" Bartz shouted as he delivered one final yet powerful blow through Exdeath before landing on the ground with Sora and Ven. They each turned towards Exdeath to see that his colors had turned to a pale green and a dark aura was rising up from around him.

"You believe you have conquered your fear. If you believe as such, you are a bigger fool than I thought, and I will continue to live." Exdeath sneered as Bartz shook his head.

"No. I'll always have fear. Fear is a part of life. Only if I continue to face my fear will I eventually overcome it. You will always be there too Exdeath, but you will never overpower me again." Bartz said as Exdeath snorted.

"We shall see. Eventually, you will come and join me. But for now, I will admit defeat and bide my time until your fear arises once more." Exdeath said before he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke which slowly dissipated. The arena then started fading out to black around them.

"Was that it? Did we defeat him?" Sora asked as Bartz turned towards them and nodded. The arena Lobby then started fading in around them.

"Yep. Exdeath was a result of my fear. Only by overcoming my fear and defeating him, would I finally be rid of him." Bartz replied.

"So you were afraid of the void of space?" Ven asked as Bartz nodded.

"Yeah. There's a lot of darkness out there and I don't have anything to protect me from that darkness. You guys have armor, that protects you out there but I don't. That's why I was so afraid. But now I know, all I need is the light of my heart. Like I told Exdeath, I'll always have fear. But I'll always have the light to guide me. As long as I let the light guide me, then I'll never get lost in the darkness." Bartz said as Sora and Ven both smiled and nodded.

"Then I guess we should be going. We've got to meet up with some friends of ours." Sora said as Bartz nodded.

"Yeah, I probably should be leaving too. Hey, you mentioned that you knew Firion. Do you know where he is?" Bartz asked as Sora and Ven both nodded.

"Yeah. He's in a world called Radiant Garden." Sora replied.

"Cool. I guess I'll head there and say hello. See you guys later!" Bartz said as he ran for the teleporter and vanished in a flash of light.

"So shall we D-Link now or do it on the fly?" Ven asked as Sora took out his lucky charm.

"Let's do it now so we don't have to worry about it while flying." Sora said as Ven took out his lucky charm and they both established the D-Link. Within the D-Link they found themselves alone within the empty white chamber.

"I guess we're the first ones here." Sora said with a shrug.

"Sora! Ven!" They heard Kairi's voice call. They turned and saw Aqua and Kairi approaching.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" Ven asked as Aqua and Kairi both nodded.

"Oh we found something alright. We found Sephiroth!" Aqua said as Sora and Ven both jumped in shock.

"Sephiroth? You ran into him? Are you alright?" Sora asked.

"Yeah we're fine. But we also ran into this woman. She was dressed in flowers and had blue hair that was like a crashing wave. She fought us but Kairi couldn't attack her for some reason. I think she did something to her Keyblade." Aqua said as Ven arched a curious eyebrow.

"Wait, you mean she was able to stop Kairi's Keyblade from moving? If so that's the exact same thing that happened to me when we fought that Wind guy." Ven said as Kairi nodded.

"That's exactly what happened to me. But I was able to fight those weird blue things." Kairi said as Ven and Sora both arched confused eyebrows, but they weren't alone.

"Strange blue things?" Riku asked as he and Terra approached.

"Riku, Terra, glad you guys could make it. I'm afraid Kairi's referring to an old enemy of ours. An enemy that Ven, Terra, and I faced long ago." Aqua said as Terra and Riku both gave her looks as if knowing what she was talking about.

"Wait, you encountered them too?" Terra asked in surprise.

"I'm afraid so." Aqua sighed.

"What are we talking about?" Sora asked curiously.

"I'm afraid we're talking about a horde of fledgling emotions once under the control of Vanitas, the Dark side of Ven's heart." Aqua replied as Ven's eyes widened.

"You don't mean-…" Ven said as Aqua nodded and replied…

"The Unversed have returned."

* * *

**End Chapter 13.**

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, the true origins of the character Wind has been correctly guessed by the reviewer lightanddarktwilight (light-and-dark-twilight…I write it this way just in case the stupid editor software acts up again).

Wind's character model is the character Black Star from the anime/manga series Soul Eater. Wind's appearance (described in chapter 1) and personality are directly modeled after Black Star. His weapon, a giant shuriken, is just one of the forms his weapon partner, Tsubaki, can transform into. One of his signature moves, the Black Star Big Wave was also used during the fight between Wind and Sora, Ven, and Mickey in chapter 8.

So congratulations to light-and-dark-twilight for correctly guessing his origins. His prize was acknowledgement in this chapter…and the internet.


	14. Descent into Nothingness

In the mysterious castle, Light and Dark emerged from the familiar portal into the courtyard. They were instantly greeted by Mark.

"Thank you for replying to the Master's summons so quickly, Dark." Mark said as Dark nodded.

"We would be foolish not to return immediately. The battle between the Heart-Bound, Sora and Ventus, against the creature Exdeath has ended in victory for the Heart-Bound." Dark reported as Mark furrowed his brow.

"Is that so. Hmm, It seems that Seeker and I have more work to do. Anyway, the Master wishes to speak with you, Dark. Light, you are free to do what you will for the time being. I believe that Des has returned ahead of schedule and is tending to her garden. I believe that someone should check up on her. You will find her in the greenhouse, should you decide to check on her." Mark said, motioning towards a tall glass domed building with brown stone walls and rows of windows near the ceiling. Light nodded in agreement.

"Very well. I shall check up on her per your request." Light said as Mark arched an eyebrow.

"I made no request. I merely informed you of the option. The choice is up to you." Mark said as he turned and walked into the main chambers followed by Dark. Light turned towards the greenhouse and started approaching it. As soon as he opened the wooden door to the greenhouse his nose was assaulted by the fragrance of countless varieties of flowers. The greenhouse was more of a garden then greenhouse. It had five large banks of soil with multitudes of flowers growing in them. Four of the five banks were in the corners of the room with a pathway running between them towards a circular pathway in the center that surrounded the fifth bank of soil where Des stood atop what appeared to be a sudo-throne made of a giant beautiful rose. There was light streaming in from the domed window, the windows around on the walls near the ceiling, and one large window with a slightly curved stone bench that was overgrown with vines stemming from the flowerbeds on both sides of it. There were only two doors into the greenhouse, one leading to the courtyard where Light had just arrived from, and another leading into the castle. The third wall, the one opposite Light had what appeared to be a large rectangular box that was overgrown as well. Light was immediately entranced by the beauty of what would otherwise be another dark and dingy chamber of the castle and Des's own natural beauty.

"Ah, Light, so wonderful of you to come and visit me. Has your mission been any success?" Des asked, snapping Light out of his trance.

"The Master recalled Dark and I for some reason. From what I can tell already, the Heart-Bound, Sora, is a formidable warrior." Light replied as Des smiled.

"That's good to hear. Too bad my mission could have been more successful." Des said, not once dropping her sweet smile.

"Your mission failed again?" Light asked with a concerned look as he approached her.

"Yes, I'm afraid my mission to locate the Keyhole of my world of origin was a failure once again. Even more so in that I was unable to defeat the two Heart-Bound and the Heartless that I ran into." Des said as she motioned for Light to sit on a large mushroom that had grown from the same soil bank her rose-throne had grown from in mere seconds before Light's eyes.

"You encountered two of the Heart-Bound? Who?" Light asked curiously as he sat down on the Mushroom.

"It was the Heart-Bound, Aqua and Kairi. Aqua is a Master of the Keyblade and she was a formidable opponent. She used fire against me but the girl, Kairi…such as sweet one. I could feel the light of her heart as she got closer. It was almost more than I could do to even raise my blade to her. In the end, our fight was interrupted by a Heartless…no, not a Heartless. He was something else. He is of the darkness, that much is certain, but I don't believe he is a true Heartless. I believe he is merely the embodiment of another person's darkness. Have you ever encountered such a being before, Light?" Des asked as Light's thoughts drifted to Exdeath.

"Yes. I have, though I never did battle with him. It's strange, my first instinct was to fight him, but doing so would alert Sora to mine and Dark's presence. Dark prevented me from interfering." Light said as Des sat back in thought.

"Light…is there ever a time when you wonder if these missions do more harm than good?" Des asked finally. Light looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean? We are trying to find out why and how we exist in this form." Light said as Des nodded.

"I'm aware of that but…well…I heard something that one of the Heart-Bound said. If what they said was true, then I wonder if what we are doing is really for the best." Des said as Light looked confused.

"What did they say?" Light asked.

"They said that one of the worlds fell into Darkness recently. They wonder if we were the ones responsible. Wind said something about the Heart-bound saying the same thing to him when he did battle with them. Have you heard any of the Heart-Bound saying anything like that?" Des asked but Light shook his head.

"No…I've heard nothing of any worlds falling into darkness. Did they say which world it was?" Light asked as Des nodded.

"Yes. They said the world was called-…" "Light!" The two turned and saw Dark entering from the door to the castle.

"Brother, what is it?" Light asked.

"The Master wishes for us to join them in the main hall. You as well, Des." Dark said as Des's throne lowered itself. Light offered his hand to Des who blushed furiously before shyly accepting. Light helped her out of the chair before letting go.

"Did the master say what why they wanted us?" Light asked as Dark nodded.

"Yes. We have received word from Rain that the Heart-Bound are beginning to converge on the passage way to the World that Never Was. It seems that Keep and Ion managed to lure them there. The master wishes for us to observe the battle from the main hall." Dark said as Light and Des both nodded.

"Very well. Lead the way brother." Light said as Dark turned and led them through the door and into the main hall. Mark and Seeker were present in the darkened chamber which was now illuminated solely by a glowing sphere of light in the center over where the pedestal with the book sat.

"**Excellent, you have arrived. The Heart-Bound have not even met up yet but they are almost together." **The Master spoke.

"Master, if you will pardon my curiosity, but what is so important of our observing the Heart-Bound's entrance to the World that Never Was?" Light asked.

"**Because they are about to walk right into a trap that we've set up for them. We need to see what they are capable of. To see how effective they are as warriors." **The Master said as the sphere of light shifted to an image of the world shell of Twilight Town, revealing four streaks of light approaching and eventually entering the world.

"Master, they have arrived in Twilight Town!" Dark said. The rattling of chains could be heard before a pair of glowing yellow eyes could be seen piercing out from the darkness. They were very close by Light's estimation, almost close enough he could reach out and touch them if he wanted but a thwarting glare from the two closest eyes forced him to return his gaze to the sphere.

"**Let us watch and see what transpires then." **The Master spoke as all eyes, including the master's own, turned their attention to the sphere.

* * *

**In Twilight Town…**

Sora, Ven, Aqua, and Kairi landed their Keyblade Riders outside of the old mansion where Terra and Axel stood outside waiting for them.

"Yo Sora! Glad you could join the party." Axel said with a grin as Sora dismissed his armor and Keyblade Rider. Sora smiled as he gave Axel a high five.

"Good to see you too, Axel. Roxas and Xion say hello by the way." Sora said as Axel smiled warmly back at the Keyblade Master.

"Well, hello to you guys too. Sorry we couldn't speak in person." Axel said with a semi-depressed sigh.

"Axel have you met, Ven yet?" Sora asked as Axel looked at the Roxas lookalike.

"The face is familiar. Hair's the same. Similar clothes. Looks like Roxas. Nope can't say that we've met." Axel said with a chuckle.

"Well…actually it's kinda hard to explain, but I am kinda responsible for Roxas looking like me." Ven said as Axel waved off the comment.

"Ah, don't worry. Riku explained the whole thing to me after you guys severed that G-Link or whatever.

"It's called a D-Link, Axel." Aqua said, crossing her arms over her chest. Axel shot her a suave grin.

"Hey-hey it's you again. I'm glad to know you remember me babe." Axel said before he attempted to slide over towards her only to recoil when the tip of Aqua's Keyblade was shoved in his face.

"Keep your distance, pervert." Aqua warned, glowing with a murderous aura.

"Wow, what did Axel do to make you so mad, Master?" Kairi asked confused.

"He copped a feel on her." Sora replied.

"And with Aqua, who values her personal space, that's as good as wearing a smite me sign." Terra added as Ven blinked.

"Yeah, Axel is definitely lucky to be alive right now." Ven said as Aqua walked around the Flurry of the Dancing Flames, keeping the tip of her Keyblade in his face until she had gotten past him and started walking onward towards the mansion.

"Hey, where's Riku?" Sora asked finally.

"Hmm? Oh he's downstairs in the lab, talking with Ansem via computer. Apparently, Ansem's lab sensors recorded our entire battle here." Terra replied as they started walking inside.

"Battle? What battle?" Sora asked curiously.

"Yeah, you only mentioned the Unversed and fighting them is hardly what I would call a battle." Ven added.

"Guys, give him a chance to talk." Kairi said as they entered the foyer.

"Thanks Kairi. There were more than just Unversed that attacked us. We encountered some strange warriors when we first arrived outside the mansion. A guy dressed in black with a hood on his head attached by a chain to a little girl dressed in white and with a small crown on her head. They were very…peculiar." Terra explained.

"Really? How so?" Kairi asked as they entered the library and started descending the stairs into the lab section.

"Well for one, they both became swords at one point or another during the battle." Terra replied.

"They became swords?" Sora asked in surprise as they entered the lab where Riku had left a message on the screen saying. _"Going to check some equipment for Ansem. Be back in a second. – Riku."_ Aqua was leaning against the wall, reading from Eraqus's book.

"Yeah. First the girl became this huge sword wielded by the guy, and then later on the guy became this dagger like sword wielded by the girl. What's strange is that together they could wield both Light and Darkness. The girl wielded light and the guy wielded darkness." Terra explained as they stood in the lab.

"I didn't think you could wield both Light and Darkness." Kairi said as Ven shrugged.

"I don't think it's impossible to wield both. I think your heart would have to be evenly balanced between both Light and Darkness to wield it." Ven said.

"Makes sense to me." Axel said as Kairi looked up at him.

"You know, despite our previous history Axel, I am glad to see you here." Kairi said, earning a confused look from him.

"Really? Okay now I'm worried. Why are you glad to see me?" Axel asked as Kairi chuckled a little.

"I'm glad you've found somewhere to belong. A place where you have friends. I don't bear any ill will towards you for kidnapping me. You just wanted to see Roxas again and kidnapping me was the only way you thought you could do it. But I'm glad you're on our side now." Kairi said as Axel smiled.

"Well thanks, Kairi. I can see where Namine got that sweet attitude of hers." Axel said as Kairi smiled up at him.

"She's a Princess of Heart you know. Her heart is so full of light that no darkness can survive within it." Aqua said, not looking up from the book.

"Yeah but other things can apparently survive in there." Kairi said as she put her hand to her chest.

"I get the feeling that you're not talking about Namine are ya?" Axel asked as Kairi shook her head.

"No. I'm not. It's nothing to worry about though. Just a little…Mmm…remnant from when Xehanort possessed me a few months ago." Kairi replied. Now Terra, Ven, and especially Sora were concerned.

"What kind of remnant exactly?" Terra asked cautiously.

"She carries some fragments of the X-Blade within her heart. According to Master Eraqus's book, they should be completely inert and should have no sort of side-effect on her. They only prevent the X-Blade from forming again should anyone tries to forge it again." Aqua explained, not looking up from the book.

"Oh yeah. I know what you mean. The same thing happened when I returned to my body. Vanitas and I both had fragments of the X-Blade left over in our hearts but those were purged thanks to Sora's help." Ven said.

"Shouldn't we purge the X-Blade fragments from Kairi, then?" Sora asked as Aqua shook her head and lowered the book finally.

"No. We shouldn't. To be honest, we should leave them in her. As long as she carries those fragments, then the X-Blade can never be recreated. For safety sake, we should never do anything to purge those fragments from her heart if we can help it." Aqua said as Riku finally returned.

"Oh, you're all here." Riku said as he sat down at the computer and brought up a chat screen with Ansem.

"We never got much of a chance to talk in the D-Link after Aqua mentioned that the Unversed had returned. Was there anything else to report?" Ven asked.

"Well, we did find something in Radiant Garden." Aqua replied, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the Xehanort Report. Terra recognized it almost instantly.

"Wait a minute, that's one of the reports that Xehanort wrote while in my body!" Terra exclaimed as Aqua nodded.

"Yeah. It was written around the time Sora and I defeated Hades with Lightning and Hope's help in Olympus Coliseum and were heading to Radiant Garden to check on things there." Aqua said as Terra nodded.

"Yeah. He didn't write that much this time around. He probably knew I would be reading what he wrote and might try and warn you guys if I ever took control of him, which I did for a time…in this very mansion now that I think about it." Terra said as he looked up towards the ceiling.

"Relax, Terra. You tried. That's all that matters." Riku said, putting a hand on his shoulder as Terra nodded.

"Yeah, I know." Terra said.

"Do you know what the reports were about?" Aqua asked as Terra pondered.

"It's all kind of a blur. Xehanort was obsessed with answering questions about the X-Blade. He even pondered what would happen if one of the hearts used in creating it were destroyed." Terra said as Aqua nodded.

"Yeah, he mentions that in this report." Aqua replied.

"What else did he write, Terra?" Sora asked curiously.

"From what I can remember…he always kept drifting back to that one question. He became obsessed with it. He had just finished writing another report on the subject when I wrestled control of my body away from him for a while. I think, if I'm correct, that the report was written in the ruins of the Castle that Never Was. I left it there because I was in a hurry to meet up with you two." Terra said, motioning to Sora and Aqua.

"Do you think that Xehanort's reports are what Master Yen Sid sent us here to find?" Kairi asked as Aqua tapped her chin.

"It's entirely possible. The sooner we can leave for the World that Never Was, the sooner we can find out." Aqua said, clipping the book to her side and standing up off the wall.

"Speaking of which, why are we still standing here?" Ven asked.

"Sorry, Ansem just wanted me to help him with some things on our end. He says he's gotten a ton of data that was recorded from Terra's and my battle with that guy and girl from earlier and he just wants to process and analyze it. He says he'll find a way to contact us if he finds anything." Riku said as he stood up from the computer and started walking towards the chamber where the passageway to the World that Never Was sat waiting.

"By the way, how do you suppose the Unversed managed to return? You don't think that Vanitas is back somehow, do you?" Ven asked as they entered the chamber.

"You would be the first to know Ven. If you don't know then how would we?" Terra said as Ven shrugged.

"We'll deal with that issue later. For now, we've got to investigate this world." Aqua said as they stopped in front of the portal.

"I'll be here on this end to make sure the passage remains open just in case." Axel said with a smile.

"That probably won't be necessary. The barrier around the World that Never Was is a one way barrier. It allows things to out, but not in. That's what this corridor is for. Getting in is the hard part, getting out is easy." Aqua said as Axel shrugged.

"Sure, just negate my attempts at heroism and coolness and make me look like a total slob." Axel mumbled.

"I consider it, payback mister touchy-feely." Aqua scowled towards him.

"Oi would you two just give it a rest. Axel's remaining here will allow us a guaranteed way out in case your theory about the world barrier turns out to be false." Terra said as Aqua nodded.

"Alright, fine. Let's just get this over with." Aqua said as she raised her Keyblade, creating a circle of blue energy around the tip before firing off the familiar blue beam of energy and opened the portal wide enough for them to pass through.

"Let's go guys." Sora said as he and Aqua took point, followed by the others as they passed into the abandoned realm of the Nobodies.

* * *

**End Chapter 14.**

Next up, a confrontation between the Keyblade Wielders and seven of the mysterious warriors. Questions will be answered and an epic battle begun.


	15. The World that Never Was Part 1

The Six Keyblade Wielders emerged from the passageway from Twilight Town and were stunned by what they saw in the streets. It was a three way battle between Shadow Heartless, Creeper and Dusk Nobodies, and Flood Unversed. No one seemed to be winning.

"What in the worlds is going on here?" Sora asked in total confusion of what was happening.

"What indeed?" a woman's voice asked from nearby. They looked up and saw, floating in the air with her arms crossed and several Scrapper Unversed scurrying around underneath her. She looked, and felt for all intents and purposes, felt like a human form Nobody but yet they could each sense the faint glimmer of a heart within her.

"Welcome, Heart-Bound warriors of the Keyblade, to the World that Never Was." The woman said extending her arms upwards. It was about this time that they noticed that the damaged heart shaped moon still hung overhead.

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

"I am known as Beco. And this, is my world of origin. Before you ask the stupid question, allow me to simply say that-." "Are you a Nobody?" Ven asked, earning a twitchy eyed scowl from the woman.

"As I was about to say…no, I am not a Nobody. I have a heart, I only lack answers." Beco said.

"Answers? Answers to what?" Aqua asked.

"You will find out the question that eats at mine and my companions minds soon enough. Then you will understand what happened to the world that you three once called home. Meet us within the ruins of the Castle that Never Was." Beco said before vanishing in a Corridor of Darkness.

"HEY! WAIT!" Sora shouted as she disappeared.

"It's no use Sora; we better get to the castle and find out what she knows." Aqua said as she summoned her armor.

"Especially if we want that report that Xehanort wrote before Terra took back over." Riku added, summoning his armor as well. Soon they were all clad in their armor.

"Alright, it's now or never." Terra said as they calmed themselves and established a D-Link with each other before charging out into the streets, cutting through Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed as they made their way through to the streets of the Nobody World. In the Mysterious Castle, the five warriors plus the Master stood watching the six Keyblade Warriors battling their way towards Memory's Skyscraper. There wasn't a sound coming from the sphere, only the image of the six and their many opponents.

"They're making excellent progress. How long do you suppose it will take them to reach the Castle?" Dark asked Mark.

"Not long. Rain and her group will be ready for them however." Mark said as they continued to watch. Soon, the six managed to reach the base of Memory's Skyscraper and were immediately confronted by a number of Neoshadow Heartless. Before Sora and the others could even make a move, a sudden flurry of strange bolts of light rained down from above, defeating the Neoshadow Heartless with a single shot each. They looked up and saw standing on the roof was a lone scar faced teenage boy wearing what looked to be a cloak made of one dragon wing and one angel wing. He then turned and walked away.

"That was weird." Ven said as the others nodded in agreement.

"Come on, the Castle is this way. It's not far." Riku said as they ran towards the incline that led down towards where the Brink of Despair was. When they arrived however they saw something that shocked them. The Castle was no longer floating in midair. Instead it had crashed to the ground, with the tower from the Altar of Naught acting like a bridge between the cliff face and the Castle walls.

"Is this what happened after we left you and Riku here, Sora?" Kairi asked as Sora and Riku both nodded.

"Yeah. Xemnas destroyed the Castle with his final form. Part of me feels kinda sad to see the Castle like this." Sora said.

"That's probably Roxas and Xion's memories of the place. It was their home for almost a year after all." Ven suggested.

"We should probably get going. No telling what might be waiting for us inside." Riku said as they started walking across the "bridge" towards the Castle. The walk across the fallen tower was uneventful, but they couldn't shake the strangest of feelings.

"Hey, Aqua, do you get that strange feeling like we're being watched?" Ven asked as Aqua nodded.

"Yeah. I can't tell by who though. Probably whoever these guys are that brought the Unversed here." Aqua said as they reached the end of the bridge. They leapt down off the fallen tower into an expansive white courtyard that sat largely empty save for several fallen and scattered white chunks of debris.

"So, what now?" Terra asked.

"We look around. You said before we ended the D-Link that the two warriors you and Riku encountered said there would be questions answered. I'm not sure what that means but we might as well see if we can find these answers." Aqua said as they started walking together in a row towards the center of the castle. Aqua and Sora in the middle of the group, with Sora to her right, Ven to her left, and Terra to Ven's left. Kairi was to Sora's right and Riku to Kairi's right. They continued walking until they noticed something moving in the shadows that hung over the other half of the courtyard. They continued walking until they noticed seven figures emerging from the shadows. Facing Aqua was a grey haired woman with glasses. Sora was staring down Ion with Keep on his back. Ven was staring at Wind who was smirking at the spiky haired Apprentice. Kairi was staring at Beco, Terra was staring down the towering man with the hammer, and Riku was staring down the cloaked teenager. Both groups came to a stop with a fair distance between them.

"So…you came after all. Just as I expected you to." The woman with glasses said as the helmets vanished from the armored, Keyblade Wielders, revealing their faces.

"Who are you?" Aqua asked. The woman pushed up her glasses with her right hand.

"Forgive me, Heart-Bound. Introductions are indeed necessary in this unique case. An oversight on my part. I am known as Rain. To my right is Wind, and to my left are Ion and his sister Keep. That is Sha to Wind's right. You've already met Beco, so that leaves Dawn to her left. I am certain you have questions. Now is your chance to ask them." The woman introduced.

"I am Aqua, Master of the Keyblade and Guardian of the Land of Departure. These are my apprentices, Ventus and Terra." Aqua introduced, Ven and Terra both nodding at the mention of their names.

"And I'm Sora, Master of the Keyblade and Guardian of the Destiny Islands. And these are my apprentices, Kairi and Riku." Sora introduced, Kairi and Riku also nodding at their names.

"I believe you misunderstood my statement earlier. I meant introductions for the seven of us were necessary. Not for the six of you. We know full well who and what you are, Heart-Bound." Rain said coldly.

"How did you already know our names?" Terra asked curiously.

"We've known your names longer than you realize, boy." Sha said as he leaned on the bottom of his war hammer's long handle, with the head resting on the ground.

"But how? How do you know our names?" Ven asked. The seven started to look at each other, as if debating whether or not they should answer the question.

"Does it matter?" Beco asked, uninterested.

"Well it would give us a better idea of who you guys are." Riku said. The seven hesitated to answer.

"It wouldn't make a difference, Riku. It would change nothing." Dawn said calmly.

"Then we'll ask a different question. Are you the ones responsible for causing the Destiny Islands to fall into Darkness?" Aqua asked. Rain and Dawn were stunned by the question. Sha arched an intrigued eyebrow. Beco blew a few stray bangs out of her hair in boredom. Wind, Ion, and Keep glared at the others with blank expressions.

"We told you so!" Wind taunted. Ion and Keep both nodded in agreement.

"A world fell into darkness? Why would we do that? How was this deed committed?" Rain asked.

"We suspect someone with a Keyblade opened the keyhole to the world's heart and exposed the heart to the darkness." Terra explained.

"But we defeated the Heartless we found there and the world's heart didn't return." Sora added as Rain looked perplexed.

"Someone…with a Keyblade. Who…who was assigned to that world?" Rain asked, turning and looking at Beco who shrugged uncaringly.

"How would I know? You're the one who reports to the Master." Beco said as Rain groaned in frustration and turned to Sha who shrugged, clueless.

"Don't look at me, I didn't make the assignments." Sha said as Rain looked down in thought.

"It might have been the newcomer. Dark, and his brother, Light." Dawn suggested as Rain sighed in frustration.

"I wish I had brought my clipboard with me now. I could check then." Rain said before remembering the six Keyblade Wielders before them.

"So you don't know who caused it?" Aqua asked as Rain shook her head.

"No. We don't. Not yet." Rain replied.

"Then perhaps you might know about the door in the Land of Departure that was opened. It had a special lock on it so that only someone with a particular Keyblade could open it." Terra said as Aqua and Ven both nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, how about that one?" Aqua asked as Rain and Dawn glanced at each other.

"That would have been Dawn and I who opened that door." Rain said earning surprised looks from all six of the Keyblade wielders.

"What? You? You're the one with the Keyblade?" Aqua asked in surprise as Rain adjusted her glasses. She then stretched out her hand and in a flash of light, a shockingly familiar Keyblade appeared.

"Aqua, isn't that yours?" Ven asked as Aqua's mouth dropped open. In her hand was the Rainfall Keyblade.

"Yeah…that's my base Keyblade! How do you have it?" Aqua asked in shock.

"I would like to go on record and remind you, that the Keyblade isn't yours. It merely allows you to wield it. It chose you, out of all the hearts in the worlds, to be its wielder. To be granted the ability to wield a Keyblade is not a gift to be taken for granted. As to how I can wield it, I've always had the ability to do so." Rain said.

"Then…why do you call us, Heart-Bound? What does that even mean?" Sora asked. Wind groaned in response.

"Augh, Geez is your memory is bad. I told you that a Heart-Bound is anyone who wields a Keyblade." Wind said in mild annoyance.

"But there's got to be more to it than that." Kairi said as Rain shook her head.

"Not that much more. We refer to you as Heart-bound because the Keyblades that have chosen you have bound themselves to your hearts. Thus, the term Heart-Bound." Rain answered.

"Then…how did he stop my Keyblade back in Disney Castle?" Ven asked.

"And how did the woman, Des, stop my Keyblade in Radiant Garden?" Kairi asked.

"That can be answered with simple logic. Why does a person not hit their self?" Ion asked.

"Because it hurts!" Keep answered with a giggle.

"Because it…wait…you mean that you're all-…no it can't be!" Aqua exclaimed as her eyes widened as Rain nodded.

"You have realized the truth, Aqua. The truth of how I was able to open that door and wield the same Keyblade as you." Rain said as the other five Keyblade warriors looked at Aqua curiously.

"Aqua, what is it?" Sora asked as Aqua broke out in a cold sweat.

"Can I assume then…that Rain is just a shortened version of Rainfall?" Aqua asked, earning confused looks from the other Keyblade Wielders.

"Aqua what are you talking about?" Sora asked. Riku and Terra however seemed to catch on.

"Aqua, are you serious? That they are our-!" "Let her answer, Terra, and we'll know for sure! Her answer, yes or no, will answer whether or not they're all-…" Aqua said, letting her sentence drop off as she turned back to look at Rain who stood cleaning her glasses with a blue handkerchief.

"My name…is Rainfall. I am…just like the rest of my companions…we are…the Keyblades." Rain said, causing all six pairs of eyes to widen.

"What! You're…you're all Keyblades?" Terra asked in shock.

"Surprised, ain't ya Terra?" Sha asked with a grin.

"Can I assume then that you…you're Earth Shaker?" Terra asked as Sha grinned.

"Yep. Sha's just my nickname. Get's pretty boring being called Earth Shaker all the time and Shaker…well that just got awkward. Sha works better. Short and sweet. That's it." Sha explained as Ven glared at Wind who grinned like a bandit.

"Bet you're eager to bow before your future King now, huh Ven? Ready to bow before the mighty Wayward Wind!" Wind asked boastfully.

"I had no idea…" Ven said in stunned disbelief, "…that my Keyblade is such a blowhard!"

"WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT-DID-YOU-JUST-SAY-TO-ME-YOU-LITTLE-?" Wind shouted before Rain grabbed him by the hair, silencing him.

"Then which of you is the Kingdom Key?" Sora asked.

"You refer to one of our companions who is not present at the moment. However, you seem to have forgotten that you have access to not one but four Keyblades due to some extraordinarily unique circumstances." Beco said.

"Four? Hmm, I've got the Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper-…" Sora said before getting interrupted by Keep.

"Here!" Keep shouted, surprising Sora.

"-…and Oblivion." Sora said. Ion merely nodded silently.

"Then who is the fourth?" Sora asked as Beco sighed.

"You fool. There is one Keyblade that was forged from the memories of someone who believed herself to be a Nobody and was a member of the very Organization that dwelled within this very castle we now stand upon. The Keyblade that was forged from her memories is known as Two Become One." Beco explained.

"And that's you?" Riku asked as Beco nodded.

"Couldn't you just be called Two or One?" Kairi asked as Beco rolled her eyes.

"Why would I be called that? Beco is an uncommon name. One that's more likely to be remembered. It suits me perfectly." Beco replied. Riku looked down at his Keyblade and then looked at Dawn who nodded.

"Yes." Dawn replied simply.

"Way to Dawn. I should have guessed by the cloak's design." Riku said as Dawn shrugged.

"It happens." Dawn replied.

"So then…Des…she's my Keyblade, Destiny Place." Kairi said as the others scowled at her.

"For the last time, you do not own us! We are not property or possessions! We choose to allow you to wield us! We come to protect you when you need us!" Wind yelled at her.

"Hey! Don't yell at her!" Sora shouted, aiming his Keyblade at Wind who grinned challengingly.

"What'cha gonna do about it Sora? You gonna fight me? Because you know you'll lose." Wind said as Sora glared at him.

"No one yells at Kairi and gets away with it on my watch!" Sora replied. He was about to leap at Wind but Aqua stopped him.

"Sora, wait! There are still two more questions that need answering!" Aqua said as she looked at Rain.

"What would they be, Aqua?" Rain asked.

"First, how are you in these human forms, and second, how are you able to command the Unversed?" Aqua asked.

"In regards to the Unversed. They are the tools of our Master. They allow us to command the Unversed for situations such as this, when we need a distraction or something like that. The Unversed are unique creatures in that they are technically made of emotions, not light, darkness, or nothingness. They may be fed by negative emotions, but emotions don't make someone wield the light or darkness. But as to your other question, as to how we are in these human forms. That is the question which each of us struggle to understand. We do not know how we came to be this way, only that we have been granted this form." Rain answered.

"So why go after the Hearts of the Worlds?" Sora asked.

"Because the Heart of a World contains knowledge that only we Keyblades can read and comprehend. We visit the worlds of our origin to try and figure out what might have happened that created our human forms." Ion explained.

"When you say worlds of origin. Do you mean your Keyblade origin or human origin?" Ven asked.

"The world of our Keyblade origins. Although there are a few amongst us who do not remember those worlds." Rain answered.

"I believe that answers our questions for now." Aqua said as Rain nodded understandingly.

"Very well then. Now that your questions have been answered, then you can now go to your graves more peacefully." Rain said, dismissing her Keyblade form and forming two long blades made of ice over her hands from her sleeves. The other Keyblades dropped into battle stances themselves. Wind shrugged off his shuriken. Sha hefted the war hammer onto his shoulders. Keep quickly morphed into her sword form in Ion's hands. Beco extended two small swords like the ones wielded by the Samurai Nobodies. Dawn however revealed that his cloak was no cloak at all but actual wings, revealing his hands were covered by a pair of dark metal gauntlets. His shirt was actually a black uniform with the buttons on the right side and white lining along the edges. On his belt was a pair of holsters with a pair of twin handguns in them. He quickly drew the guns and held them aimed down at the sides.

"Wait, won't you die if you kill us?" Aqua asked in shock as she and the six Keyblade wielders dropped into their fighting stances.

"We're pretty sure, that we won't. You are unnecessary for our continued survival, Heart-Bound, and so you are merely superfluous. We need you no longer." Rain replied as the helmets on the other Keyblade wielders formed and they established a D-Link.

"Your move, Heart-Bound." Rain said calmly. The battle lines had been drawn and now they were just waiting for an excuse to make the first move.

* * *

**Back in Twilight Town…**

Axel stood leaning against the wall between the door and the portal. He was bored but he could tell that whatever was about to go down within the World that Never Was, was obviously big.

"Man, I wish I could find out what they were doing in there. (Sigh) I wish I could find a way to help them. Hell, I wish I could just help!" Axel grumbled, obviously sick of just standing idly by. He then heard the door to the room open. He spun towards the door, Chakrams summoned, but paused when he saw who it was. A grin then swept his face.

"I was wondering when you would show up. Sora and the others are already inside. If you hurry, you can catch up to them. Got it Memorized?"

* * *

**End Chapter 15.**

Yes, the mysterious warriors are all Keyblades. Surprised, aren't 'cha?

By the way, just in case you are wondering. The Keyblades being wielded by our six heroes are as follows.

Sora: Kingdom Key (Base & primary), Oathkeeper & Oblivion (secondary), Two Become One (Available but unused)  
Aqua: Mark of Mastery, a.k.a. Master Eraqus's Keyblade (Base Keyblade: Rainfall)  
Ven: Wayward Wind  
Terra: Ends of the Earth (Base Keyblade: Earth Shaker)  
Kairi: Destiny's Embrace (Base Keyblade: Destiny Place)  
Riku: Way to Dawn

The origins of Two Become One, and Master Eraqus's Keyblade were explained in Reconnect Kingdom Hearts. And for those of you who say Riku's first Keyblade was Soul Eater, it's not. Soul Eater is classified as a sword, not a Keyblade. Just check the KH Wiki.


	16. The World that Never Was Part 2

The six Keyblade wielders stood before the seven Keyblade Rebels, each in their fighting stance. The six quickly established a D-Link with the others.

"_Guys, we need to choose our opponents wisely. Choose a Keyblade that you don't wield and go after them!"_ Aqua instructed telepathically via the D-Link.

"_Yeah, they can stop our Keyblades from hitting them if we attack the Keyblade we wield." _Ven said.

"_Wind is mine! He'll pay for insulting Kairi!" _Sora said, earning a concerned look from Kairi.

"_Sora, there's no need to defend my honor. I appreciate the sentiment, really I do, but I don't need defending all the time. However if you want to take on Wind, I'll still back you up." _Kairi said.

"_I'll take Oathkeeper and Oblivion. I want to continue our fight from Twilight Town."_ Terra said with a grin.

"_I'll take Earth Shaker then." _Ven said as Aqua looked towards Dawn.

"_Riku, I'll take on Dawn." _Aqua said as Riku nodded.

"_Right. Kairi, can we leave Rain, to you? I've got more experience fighting Nobodies than you do so Beco and I should be an even match."_ Riku said as Kairi nodded.

"_You can count on me, Riku." _Kairi replied.

"_Riku she's not a Keyblade, not a Nobody." _Aqua reminded.

"_I know, but I'm betting her attacks are Nobody based. I might be wrong, or I might not. We'll find out won't we?" _Riku asked, none of them noticing the confused looks their opponents were giving them.

"What are they doing?" Wind whispered through clinched teeth to Rain, not taking his eyes off of Ven.

"I'm not certain. Can they communicate with each other inside that armor?" Rain pondered.

"Rain, have you forgotten about the Dimension Link?" Ion asked. Rain's eyes widened. (Battle Music Cue: Rage Awakened – KH2 Final Mix+ OST)

"That's it! They're strategizing right in front of us! ATTACK!" Rain ordered as they charged forward.

"_Here they come! EVERYONE, MOVE!"_ Aqua ordered as the six charged towards their Keyblade opponents. Sora quickly leapt over Aqua as he moved to intercept Wind. Aqua leapt up and glided straight towards Dawn who was lining up shots on Riku. Dawn spotted her with his lone visible eye and quickly turned his weapons towards her. Riku charged straight at Beco who saw him approaching and started firing black and white Nobody thorns of energy at him. Kairi charged towards Rain who was trying to make sense of the sudden confusion in her orderly mind. Ven was running towards Sha who was attempting to chase down Terra, who in turn had leapt into the air and brought his Keyblade down on Keep's sword form.

"_OW! Watch it you big meany!" _Keep whined as Terra's Keyblade clashed with her and Ion.

"I wanted to continue the match from earlier! Hope you don't MIND!" Terra shouted as he shoved them back and quickly leapt at them again, unleashing a flurry of fierce attacks against the two Keyblades. Suddenly Terra started glowing with a yellow aura, causing Ion to pause in curiosity.

"What's this?" He asked curiously. Terra grinned within his helmet before unleashing the Critical Impact Command Style, delivering multiple powerful attacks that Ion was forced to block with Keep's weapon form. Terra continued his assault, pausing briefly on occasion to cast either a Firaga or Blizzaga spell. Ion quickly blocked the spells with Keep's blade.

"Whatever you're doing, it won't work!" Ion said calmly before flying in for an attack but was suddenly knocked into the air by a fierce upward swing from Terra. Ion spun around and saw Terra's Keyblade suddenly form a single large blade of purple-pink energy. It was the Blade Charge Command Style, the one he shared with Aqua.

"Alright, let's see how you handle THIS!" Terra shouted as he leapt up to Ion and delivered a fierce downward swing, sending the sibling blades into the ground, throwing up a cloud of white dust upon impact. Terra landed on the ground, staring at the cloud of dust. Suddenly a small white blur flew out from within the cloud. Terra raised his Blade Charge enhanced Keyblade just in time to block a lightning fast blow from Keep wielding Ion's ninjato form.

"Sorry Mister Rock Head, but we can't let you do that anymore." Keep said with her cheerful and childlike attitude. Terra didn't reply, instead swinging the Blade Charged Keyblade hard, easily overpowering the little girl, that is until she bounced off the ground with her feet, flipped backwards in midair, and bounced off of the back wall, rocketing her towards Terra who quickly reared back his Keyblade and swung it at her at the right time, resulting in a blinding flash as the two blades clashed. When the light faded, Terra saw that Ion was once again holding Keep's weapon form and pressing against the Keyblade Apprentice's Keyblade with newfound strength.

"You must be some kind of scum if you would raise your blade to a child, let alone my sister!" Ion snarled angrily from under his hood.

"I acted in self-defense! You're the ones who attacked Riku and myself a moment ago without any provocation and you're yelling at me for defending myself?" Terra asked as Ion leapt back just before Terra took a swing at him with the Keyblade as the Blade Charge wore off.

"You are correct, I suppose. But to attack a little girl? That's just low on any level!" Ion yelled as Terra's helmet disappeared.

"You're one to talk! You're the one putting her in such a dangerous position by using her as a weapon! I will defend myself! I don't care who comes at me, I will defend any attack that I can!" Terra yelled as he started glowing with purple and black energy. Ion stepped back in shock as he saw Terra glowing. Terra noticed the darkness energy around him and took a moment to take a deep breath. The aura disappeared, leaving Terra as he once was.

"So…you struggle to contain the darkness within you." Ion said as Terra dropped back into his battle stance.

"Yeah. It comes from being possessed by a heart of pure darkness for almost eleven years." Terra said as Ion paused with a look as if being lost in thought.

"That explains what I sensed within you. A stain on your heart. A stain of darkness." Ion said as Terra remained silent, staring at the Keyblade with narrowed eyes. Ion finally looked up at Terra.

"I can sense that you are trying to hold onto the light, yet you still find it difficult to do. You have not yet accepted the darkness within you." Ion said before Terra leapt towards him, their blades clashing together in a shower of sparks.

"I will not succumb to the Darkness again!" Terra growled before getting shoved back by Ion who started glowing with a white aura while black energy started rising from his shoulders and the top of his head.

"Succumbing to the darkness and accepting it are two different things!" Ion shouted as he raised Keep's weapon form, the aura intensifying before he unleashed a sudden flurry of fast and violent swings towards Terra, not even touching the ground as he attacked. Terra had been caught off guard after being shoved back and fell victim to the attacks, his armor saving him from the brunt of the attacks. When the last strike landed, Terra was thrown a short distance away, crashing and tumbling across the ground a short distance before his armor vanished back into his shoulder guard.

"Succumbing to the darkness of your heart is to let it guide your actions. Accepting it is to use the darkness within your heart as a defense against the darkness that you fight. The Heart-Born, Riku seems to have discovered this secret." Ion said as Terra climbed to his feet.

"Why should I believe you? You're trying to kill me after all." Terra asked as Ion pointed the tip of his sword at him.

"Believe me, Heart-Bound, were it not for my instructions, we would not be having this confrontation." Ion said as Keep's sword form started glowing with black and white energy before creating thirteen clones of her sword form made of light, all aimed at him. Terra recognized the attack as the beginnings of Sora's Thirteenth Strike Shoot Lock. He quickly dropped into his battle stance again, aiming his Keyblade at the thirteen swords and Ion before the blades launched towards him. Just as they did, a volley of black bolts of energy launched from around Terra, and homed in on the blades of light, obliterating them and continuing on towards Ion who stood stunned and helpless as bolts collided into him as Terra continued firing off waves and waves of more bolts, the successive bolts knocking Ion into the air. Ion crashed onto the ground, face first, as the attack ended. Terra had used his Dark Volley Shoot Lock. Terra started to approach his opponent who was breathing heavily. Keep quickly reverted to her human form, standing next to her brother with her hand on his back as she cared for him. She noticed Terra's approach and spun around towards him, summoning her Keyblade form in her hands and aiming it at him.

"Stay back you meany!" Keep ordered.

"Keep." Ion said, putting his hand on her Keyblade and lowering it. Terra blinked in surprise as he realized that Ion's hood had been knocked backwards by the attack. His hair was short, but white like Riku's and he even had a black blindfold over his eyes. Keep complied silently to her brother's command as he stood up and dusted off his shoulders before pulling the hood back over his head and face.

"You fought well, Terra. I admit defeat." Ion said as he held out his hand towards Keep who silently grasped it.

"Tell me honestly. Do you know who's responsible for the Destiny Island's fall?" Terra asked as Ion shook his head.

"No. But you have taken your first steps into accepting the darkness within you. You still have a long road to travel, but with faithful friends and companions such as Riku at your side, the road will only get shorter." Ion said as he stretched out his hand, creating the imploding portal again. Keep leapt onto his back, as they walked into the portal which closed behind them. Terra was confused by their sudden departure but as he looked around he soon knew why.

**…**

(Battle Music Cue: Apprehension – KH2 OST)  
Dawn had spotted Aqua as she glided towards him, Keyblade ready. He quickly turned his twin handguns towards her before firing a few bullets made of light. Aqua quickly used Reflega to block the shots. Dawn launched himself into the air with just one beat of his wings, just before the bolts of light could fire from the sides of the Reflega. Aqua landed where he was once standing and looked up towards him as he hovered in the air overhead.

"I wasn't expecting you." Dawn said but Aqua didn't say a word, instead aiming her Keyblade straight at the flying teenager and suddenly casting Blizzaga. Dawn quickly retaliated by shooting a large fireball from his guns and destroying the attack instantly. Aqua was stunned by the counterattack.

"Was that a-?" "A fire spell? A Firaga more specifically? Yes. It is the same type of magic you Heart-Bound channel through us. It's only natural that we are able to use such spells ourselves." Dawn replied calmly.

"Then there are other spells I can use on you." Aqua said before she cast Magnega, dragging the winged teenager towards the ground at high speed, only for him to slam into the ground. He quickly leapt to his feet just as Aqua cartwheeled and then jumped towards him, Keyblade raised for an attack. He quickly enshrouded himself with his wings just as Aqua brought down her Keyblade on his Dragon wing. She was stunned when the Keyblade bounced off of it. She then found herself hit hard and thrown away as Dawn threw open his wings. Dawn didn't say a word as Aqua leapt to her feet from the ground.

"That was foolish. Did you think I was unprepared for a close-range attack? These wings shield me from such attacks. They can also be used as a weapon as you have just experienced." Dawn said as Aqua glared at him from within her helmet.

"Why are you attacking us? Have the Keyblades themselves fallen into Darkness?" Aqua asked as Dawn shook his head calmly.

"Not all of us. I suspect that there are at least a few who have succumbed to the darkness. There are probably one or two amongst us who use the darkness as a weapon, but have not truly succumbed to its power. As a Keyblade Master, you should know that such things are possible, but yet such practices would be frowned upon by your own Master." Dawn said.

"You're right about that. Master Eraqus wouldn't have approved of using the darkness in any fashion." Aqua said as Dawn spread open his wings.

"Then perhaps you should give your warning about the darkness to your companion. He harbors much darkness within him." Dawn said as Aqua glanced at Terra as he battled Ion & Keep.

"I know full well about Terra's darkness. He's had it rough enough as it is. He's at least trying to follow the light." Aqua said, dropping back into her battle stance. Dawn closed his lone visible eye and shook his head.

"I was not referring to Terra." Dawn said as he opened his eye and aimed his guns at her again.

"Riku then? He is your chosen wielder so you would know about him, right?" Aqua asked as the barrels of Dawn's guns started glowing, the gun in his right glowing with two semi-transparent angel wings running along the barrel and the left gun glowing with two purple and red dragon wings in a similar fashion. Dawn said nothing before he fired two large and powerful bolts, one of light and the other of Darkness that gracefully curved and arced in the air towards her so that they were coming at her from both sides. She quickly cartwheeled out of the way, causing the two bolts to explode on impact, before leaping up towards Dawn who lunged to the side, allowing her to pass without being able to reach him. He was surprised however when she summoned her Keyblade Rider and started to fly away from him.

"Now what is she up to?" Dawn asked curiously. His eye then widened as he saw her pull a half somersault and fly straight towards him, firing off arrows of blue energy as she flew. Dawn quickly attempted to dodge but it was no use, Aqua's Wing Arrows homed in and ripped through his wings, knocking him out of the sky. However he was able to give his damaged wings one fast flap and land safely on both feet. Aqua began firing more Wing Arrows at him but this time he was able to shield himself with the more durable outside of his wings. The arrows harmlessly bounced off the wings as Aqua flew in overhead, dismissed her Keyblade Rider and dropped towards him with her Keyblade ready. Dawn quickly retaliated by firing a sudden and rapid barrage of light and dark powered energy bolts at her which she was forced to block via Reflega. Dawn quickly leapt back and out of the way just as she landed to avoid the resulting burst of light magic from the reflega shield. Dawn landed on his back, breathing heavily from the close call. She quickly ran up to him and swatted his guns out of his hands before pointing the tip of her Keyblade to his chin, her helmet vanishing.

"Alright, I've clipped your wings, now what are you talking about? I know about Terra and Riku's darkness. Riku's accepted his darkness but Terra's still learning to deal with his." Aqua said as Dawn sighed, closing his eye.

"It is moments such as this that I forget about the advantage I have over most of my comrades and even most Heart-Bound." Dawn said.

"What advantage?" Aqua asked, wary of any surprises he might have up his sleeves.

"My dragon's eye isn't just for show. It allows me to see into people's hearts and see whether their hearts are of the Light or of the Darkness. I have seen into each of you, and I know of a Darkness that lies dormant within one of your companions. Be wary of it, for if I am correct, that Darkness will strike at a moment when your guard will be down." Dawn explained, as Aqua glanced away in thought. As she did however, Dawn took advantage of the opportunity and summoned one of his hand guns in a flash of light to his left hand. Aqua noticed it, almost too late as he fired a Blizzaga at her from the gun while simultaneously using his wings to pull him away on the ground from her. He then leapt to his feet, his wings healing themselves like magic before her eyes.

"Take my advice to heart, Heart-Bound, for it could just save your life and the life of your friends." Dawn said before he gave a flap of his wings and launched into the air, flying straight up towards one of the imploding portals, closing it behind him. Aqua stared up at where Dawn disappeared before looking down at her Lucky charm as it sat in her hand.

"Could…could what he said…could it all be true?" Aqua asked as she looked back up towards the point in the sky where he had vanished. She then noticed something that explained his mysterious and sudden departure…

* * *

**Back within the Mysterious Castle…**

The fight had just begun and Mark looked intrigued by the Keyblade Wielder's first moves.

"Interesting." Mark said.

"What?" Light asked, turning towards his fellow Keyblade Rebel.

"The Heart-Bound must have realized their weakness against us and have compensated appropriately." Mark said.

"Weakness? I was not aware that there was a weakness." Light said curiously.

"**The Heart-Bound that wields our true forms are unable to defeat us. Our true forms recognize us as their human selves and prevent any attacks from connecting. It is this method that Wind was able to get the advantage of the Heart-Bound, Ventus. The same for Des and the Heart-Bound Princess of Heart, Kairi." **The Master explained, their two pairs of glowing yellow eyes, not once deviating from the sphere.

"Then, their chaotic movements were their first charges for their opponents?" Light asked.

"It's also thrown off Rain's concentration. Look at how she's frantically searching for some semblance of order in that chaos. Ah, she is to duel the Princess of Heart. This shall be interesting." Mark explained.

"I'm not sure I understand. How does Rain's concentration make any difference?" Light said with a look of confusion. He then felt Des gently place her hands on his arm and turned to face her.

"Rain is very smart. She is more of a strategist than a warrior, but her magic prowess is stronger than most of ours. She put's Mark to shame easily when it comes to strategy." Des said, earning an annoyed look from Mark.

"This from our most inept warrior." Mark said before suddenly finding the tip of a sword thrust into his face, nearly cutting off part of his moustache.

"Insult her honor once more, and you will not live to breathe another word." Light said, holding his sword steady.

"**Silence, fools!"** The Master ordered, their eyes flashing angrily as Light lowered his sword.

"Interesting move, brother." Dark said softly.

"**We said, SILENCE! We wish to observe more of this battle." **The Master ordered. The other Keyblade Rebels obediently directed their attention back to the sphere. As the battle progressed, Light noticed something. As they watched the battle between Kairi and Rain, he noticed that the pair of the Master's eyes furthest away from him, the ones on the right, seemed to inch closer and closer to the sphere, until finally he caught his first glimpse of the Master's face. It was the female part of the Master. He could only make out a faint silhouette but he could still make out some of the finer details. She had long hair of an unknown color due to the lighting, and her face seemed vaguely familiar as if he had seen the face somewhere before. He returned his attention to the sphere, the battle between Kairi and Rain continuing. Then he saw Kairi's helmet disappear during the fight and his eyes widened. He looked at the master's female face and realized where he had seen the face before. The master's female face was almost exactly like Kairi's own only matured slightly. He didn't notice as she happened to glance in his direction as he unintentionally stared at her. She regarded him curiously for a moment but then a dark smile spread across her lips.

"See something you like?" She asked with a sultry tone as the silhouette of her face vanished back into the darkness, her yellow eyes still piercing through the blackness. Light and Des were both stunned.

"Forgive me, Master. I don't know what came over me." Light said, looking away as he caught his breath.

"**Then keep your eyes to yourself." **The Master said as Light made a concentrated effort to keep his attention on the sphere. He was unaware that Des was now holding his arm against her chest in fear.

* * *

**End Chapter 16.**

Quick note to avoid confusion. All of the battle scenes described above and occurring in the next two chapters after this one are all occurring simultaneously.


	17. The World that Never Was Part 3

Kairi was charging straight for Rain, who was absolutely confused at what was going on. Kairi got her attention though when she fired a bolt of Holy magic at the inattentive Keyblade Rebel. Rain spotted it just in time and cast a Reflect spell, absorbing the attack. She then turned towards Kairi who stood ready with her Keyblade in hand.

"So the Princess of Heart has chosen to fight me." Rain said as Kairi remained in her battle stance. Rain arched a curious eyebrow, using the tip of her ice blade to push up her glasses.

"That Keyblade…it's different than I first observed. You have managed to unlock her more powerful form, Destiny's Embrace. But you could not have done this easily. When did you acquire that Keyblade?" Rain asked as Kairi's helmet disappeared.

"It was given to me." Kairi replied as Rain arched an eyebrow.

"I see. By whom, though?" Rain asked but Kairi remained silent, glancing at her Keyblade for a second before looking back at Rain.

"Ah…I see. Des gave it to you. Can't say as I blame her. She's the pacifist of our little gang. She only fights when ordered to or in self-defense. I suppose then that that's the reason she chose you, a Princess of Heart, to be her wielder." Rain said as Kairi looked at her worriedly.

"Des won't get in trouble will she?" Kairi asked as Rain thought for a moment.

"I'm not certain. Disciplining my fellow Keyblades is not my responsibility. That's up to the Master to decide. She might not receive any punishment at all. But I must say that your concern for her wellbeing is pleasing for me to hear. It's very rare that someone shows genuine concern for their enemy." Rain said as Kairi shook her head.

"You're wrong. Des is not my enemy. Neither are you." Kairi said, earning an arched eyebrow from Rain.

"I'm not? Even though I intend to follow through with my orders and attack you?" Rain asked curiously.

"No. I have no enemies. But my friends do, and I'll fight for them…not for myself." Kairi said as Rain looked surprised.

"So then the purity and selflessness of the Princesses of Heart is not mere rumor after all. Unfortunately, I must still follow my orders. Prepare yourself Princess." Rain said as Kairi quickly dropped back into her battle stance, her helmet reforming on her head. (Battle Music Cue: Deep Space Battle Theme – KH Birth by Sleep. Note: Can only be found on YouTube or ripped directly from the game)

"The light of your heart will not be enough to protect you, Princess." Rain said as she ran her ice blades together as if sharpening them before dropping into her battle stance.

"It won't matter. Win or lose, at least I'll have given it my all." Kairi said as Rain nodded.

"That's all I ask then." Rain said, pushing her glasses up once more, only for the frames of her glasses to freeze to the sides of her head. She then started running towards Kairi, her blades ready to strike. Kairi quickly swung her Keyblade across at Rain who leapt over the young Princess and attempted to deliver a fierce blow to Kairi's neck. Fortunately Kairi instinctively dodge rolled forward just in time. She and Rain both came to a stop and spun to face each other.

"Impressive move, Princess. You have been trained well." Rain said, sharpening her ice blades again.

"I'm afraid some of it was taken from Sora's memories over a year ago. My Nobody Namine gleaned the fighting knowledge from him while he was in Castle Oblivion and she gave it to me a few months ago. I've been training ever since then to fight more effectively." Kairi replied.

"Honesty, even in the face of danger. Another glowingly positive trait of the Princesses." Rain said before aiming the tips of the ice blades at Kairi, firing them like missiles at the young Princess. Kairi quickly used Reflera, protecting herself from the missiles. She was astounded when she looked up and saw Rain's hands were now engulfed in flames. Her clothes, even her glasses, had taken a unique shade or fire red. Without hesitating she thrust both of her palms forward together, sending out a jet of flames towards Kairi who quickly leapt into the air, clearing the attack. Kairi retaliated by firing a Holy spell at Rain, which she blocked with a single flaming hand.

"I'm afraid magic won't work on me, Princess. I'm well versed in many of the magics you Heart-Bound force through us." Rain said as the fire on her hands went out, allowing her hands to crackle with electricity, her clothing and glasses taking on a yellowish hue. She then leapt at Kairi at lightning fast speeds, but Kairi didn't budge, she instead raised her Keyblade and swung with all her might at the right time.

"HEADS UP!" A voice called just as a blinding flash enveloped the two of them. When the light faded, Rain had been knocked into the air, flew over Kairi due to the momentum from her initial charge, and crashed onto the ground. Kairi quickly turned towards Rain in surprise as electricity crackled from around her as she started to climb to her feet, turning with a confused expression, towards Kairi.

"What the-? Another one?" Rain asked in shock as she finished standing up.

"Another one?" Kairi asked, confused before she felt someone tapping on her right shoulder. She turned and looked to see…

"Master Yen Sid thought you fellas could use some help. I got here as fast as I could." King Mickey said, Keyblade in hand.

"Your highness!" Kairi exclaimed, her helmet disappearing, revealing an excited expression on her face.

"Hope you're ready for a fight, Kairi. I know you're not too excited about fighting so allow me to help." Mickey said determinedly as Kairi smiled and nodded, her helmet reappearing as she dropped back into her fighting stance.

"You lead the way, your highness." Kairi said as Mickey turned his attention to Rain who continued to crackle with electricity.

"Ah now this is a unique and unforeseen circumstance. All the known Heart-Bound in the universe, together in one place. Had we known, we could have prepared accordingly. I guess we'll just have to make do with what we have." Rain said, dropping into her fighting stance before quickly charging at the two. Much to her surprise, they both dodged her charge, Mickey dealing a fierce blow to her back as she passed between them, knocking her onto the floor and causing her to roll across the ground.

"Alright, how did you do that?" Rain asked angrily as she picked herself up, staggering slightly. The two didn't reply.

"Not going to talk to me anymore, eh? I see. You are fortunate that I am not capable a fighter when it comes to swordplay. Magic is my specialty. So I suppose I better up the ante." Rain said, her original colors returning, but her hands reaching for her glasses. She closed her eyes as she removed her glasses, placing them within a case inside her shirt. She then opened her eyes towards them, her pupils quickly becoming cat-like slits and an aura of blue energy appearing around her. Kairi and Mickey weren't sure what to expect from her but they weren't expecting what happened next.

**…**

(Battle Music Cue: The Encounter – KH2 OST)  
Ven nimbly slipped past Terra as he charged at Sha and nearly managed to take him by surprise.

"Huh? Oh great, I get one of the pipsqueaks!" Sha grumbled as he raised his hammer. Ven didn't say a word as Sha proceeded to bring the hammer down, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Heh, that was easy. Dead and gone. Now where's that idiot Ter-RAH!" Sha yelled as he felt a sudden pain in his back. He spun around, swinging the hammer as he did, but saw no one there and felt nothing get hit by the hammer.

"What? Who? GAHH!" Sha grunted as he craned his neck around to look behind him but only saw a blur and then felt a sudden pain in the jaw as soon as he had turned back. Ven had smacked him with the handle of his Keyblade. Sha landed with a thud onto his back before he looked up to see Ven standing in his battle stance.

"You given up already, you old geezer?" Ven taunted, earning an enraged snarl from Sha.

"Why YOU **LITTLE-!**" Sha roared as he leapt to his feet and swung his hammer around towards Ven who nimbly leapt over the hammer but Sha grinned as Ven moved in for another blow but found himself smacked hard by the hammer as it came back in the other direction, launching Ven into a nearby wall where he then fell onto the floor, his armor having withstood most of the damage and returned to his armor piece.

"Ha! Not so cocky now, ain't ya, you little runt!" Sha taunted as Ven climbed to his feet and glared at the towering man.

"Bet ya can't do that again!" Ven said with a challenging grin.

"Wanna bet?" Sha replied calmly, gripping his war hammer with a dark grin as a brief red glow appeared around him. Ven suddenly charged for him again. Sha swung his hammer but Ven leapt over it, Sha didn't react as Ven delivered a fierce blow to his back on his way down. Ven turned towards Sha to see that he wasn't even moving from his position after having swung his hammer. Ven blinked curiously before he spotted the shadowy silhouette of a hammer being raised behind him and he quickly dodge rolled clear just as Sha brought down the hammer on what turned out to be a rock made statue of himself.

"Heh-heh, almost had ya, didn't I kiddo?" Sha asked as Ven caught his breath. He realized that bringing down Sha was going to be tougher than he had first thought. He then aimed his Keyblade at the man.

"Oh what now? You gonna use one of your Shoot Locks on me? I've got a better idea…let me use MINE!" Sha shouted as his hammer disappeared in a flash of light, only to be replaced by his base Keyblade form which suddenly started glowing with red energy.

"Ultima CANNON!" Sha shouted as his Base form morphed into the giant bazooka like form of Terra's ultimate Shoot Lock. Ven's eyes widened as the teeth on the Ultima Cannon started spinning faster and faster until finally it fired a shot that enveloped the whole area with light. When it faded Sha had dismissed his Keyblade form and was once again holding his hammer.

"Bet'cha can't walk away from that one, pipsqueak." Sha said with a dark grin and a chuckle.

"You would be surprised!"

"Huh?" Sha yelped in surprise as he spun around to see Ven crash into him at high speed, and then start delivering a fierce flurry of blows against the unsuspecting Keyblade Rebel. Ven suddenly started glowing with light as he entered the Speed Rave Command Style.

"Augh! You pesky little RUNT!" Sha yelled in anger as he swung his war hammer around erratically in an effort to swat away Ven but to no avail. Ven landed clear of Sha's attack radius and quickly cast Magnega, causing Sha to be pulled into a swirling vortex of energy. Ven quickly shunted the newfound power from his heart into his Keyblade, resulting in the creation of six swords of light. The Wing Blade Command Style.

"It's over!" Ven shouted as he began barraging Sha with even more lightning fast attacks before knocking Sha into the ground and throwing the six swords of light into their hexagonal pattern and releasing a powerful burst of light that enveloped Sha within. Ven landed nearby, his Command Style's energy expended. Sha was still alive but had dropped to one knee in pain, snarling up at Ven.

"That's it, no more mister nice guy!" Sha growled as he started glowing with a rising aura of red and yellow energy. Ven didn't count on what happened next however…

**…**

(Battle Music Cue: The 13th Struggle – KH2 OST)  
Riku immediately leapt towards Beco, ducking under Aqua as she glided overhead towards Dawn, and then immediately firing a Dark Firaga at the unsuspecting and confused Beco. The Dark Firaga was intercepted by a floating pink cube of energy that appeared out of nowhere. She turned her icy gaze towards Riku who stood ready with his Keyblade in hand.

"Great." She muttered.

"Not the opponent you were expecting huh?" Riku asked as Beco sighed in frustration.

"You could say that." Beco said as she raised both of the Samurai Nobody swords. Riku arched a curious eyebrow from within his helmet.

"_What is she doing?" _He pondered as she stood perfectly still as if a statue. Suddenly it occurred to him and his eyes widened.

"_Duel stance!" _He exclaimed mentally as he quickly dropped into the matching stance. Faster than he could blink, Beco had launched towards him but he had predicted this and managed to block with his Keyblade. She took a swing at him but he quickly cast Dark Shield, causing her to blade to bounce harmlessly backwards. Riku took advantage of the opportunity and kicked her back to where she was standing a moment ago.

"You're a tough one, aren't you? To use darkness and not be overcome by it. I'm actually impressed." Beco said as Riku aimed his Keyblade at her.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Riku said as his Keyblade started to glow with a yellow colored light. He then reared back the Keyblade before swinging forward and letting go, launching the Keyblade straight towards her. She quickly conjured a wall of the floating pink cubes as the Keyblade bounced off the wall but it didn't stop. Instead it flew around and attempted to attack from multiple directions but the wall of cubes kept blocking it until finally it became trapped between a pair of cubes.

"And for your next trick?" Beco asked in a bored tone as she turned towards him.

"Oh it's not over." Riku said, causing Beco to arch a confused eyebrow and then turn back to see the Keyblade glow with purple-black energy before suddenly exploding in a single spectacular blast. It was the only Shoot Lock Riku knew. The one used to kill Maleficent once and for all. He called it, Dragon Slayer. Riku instantly summoned his Keyblade back to him as the smoke cleared, revealing that Beco had disappeared.

"No challenge at all." Riku said as he rested his Keyblade on his shoulder.

"Don't count me out just yet." Beco's voice echoed from nearby. Riku quickly dropped back into his battle stance and started looking around, unaware of a pair of black and white snake like arms with thorns on it, similar to those of the Assassin Nobodies, rising from the ground behind him. Riku then paused, suspecting an ambush, before quickly spinning around in time to block the first strike and cause Beco to suddenly rise from the ground.

"Augh! Clever boy!" She hissed as she recovered before disappearing in a flash of light. Riku, recognizing the flash, quickly leapt clear before Beco came down from overhead with a Dragoon type nobody's spear.

"Give it up, Beco, I know all the moves of the Nobodies. I've faced and defeated all types of them." Riku said as Beco glared at him.

"Is that so? Very well, then let us see how well you deal with this." Beco said before she snapped her fingers. Riku suddenly found himself grabbed from behind, being pulled along in erratic directions before suddenly getting kicked hard into the air. He turned in midair to see what looked like Beco, only dressed in clothing similar to that of the Dancer Nobody; only Beco was still standing by her lonesome near the strange clone of herself which quickly vanished. She then surprised Riku even more by raising her arms up towards him and in a flash, her arms stretched towards him to an inhuman length, growing larger in size the closer they got until finally she grabbed him and had him trapped between her two hands like the Twilight Thorn would do with its victims. She then began squeezing the life out of him.

"So fragile. You Heart-Bound are nothing without us. If you didn't have access to a Keyblade, then you would be nothing more than lambs for the-…huh?" Beco said as she noticed Riku starting to glow with dark blue energy before suddenly vanishing in a sudden burst of black and grey light.

"Huh? What the-?" Beco exclaimed, her arms instantly returning to normal, before suddenly getting struck from behind, watching as Riku blew past from behind her, leaving a trail of darkness energy behind before vanishing in a small portal of darkness. Another opened up nearby before Riku flew out from it, striking Beco again from a different angle before vanishing the way he had before. He continued striking her several times, each time from a different angle until finally he flew down from overhead, creating a pillar of light that blinded her.

"AUGH! WHAT WAS THAT?" Beco howled as she shielded her eyes from the pillar of light.

"An ability I thought was lost to me until this very moment. It's called, Dark Aura, and it's one of my Shoot Locks." Riku replied, dropping back into his battle stance. Beco finally lowered her arm to glare at him.

"You'll pay for that!" Beco growled as she started glowing with black and white energy, reaching into the air and summoning one of the Berserker Nobody hammers. She then disappeared as the hammer started bouncing rapidly up and down, moving towards Riku who quickly turned and started running from the approaching hammer. He looked over his shoulder for a brief second before noticing that the hammer had disappeared but its rhythmic thumping could still be heard. He quickly turned back towards the front and saw the hammer approaching fast. He scowled and quickly cast Dark Firaga, causing the hammer to topple over and morph back into Beco who hissed in pain from the attack.

"I know those attacks and I know how to counter them. There's nothing original in your entire arsenal that you can't use?" Riku asked as Beco glared at him in anger.

"How about I just stoop to your level instead?" Beco asked as she crossed her arms and in a flash, the black and white thorned form of her Keyblade form appeared floating in midair in front of her. It suddenly lurched towards Riku who quickly dodged but the Keyblade attacked with such speed that it was getting increasingly hard for Riku to dodge or even block.

"How do you like getting forced back into a corner now, Heart-Bound?" Beco asked before Riku suddenly cast Thundara, which struck her on the head, causing the Keyblade to pause in midair as if confused.

"Oh that was cheap!" Beco yelled but now Riku was on the offensive, attacking repeatedly, occasionally using Thundara to deliver a blow to either her or the Keyblade before her. Suddenly he started glowing with a white and purple aura.

"What-…what is this?" Beco asked confused as Riku suddenly started overtaking the Keyblade, delivering powerful blows filled with a strange combination of Light and Darkness.

"Sora doesn't know that I've achieved this. No one does. It's because I train at night while everyone else is asleep. This is my tier one Command Style. It's called, Road Walker." Riku said as he raised his Keyblade to unleash the finishing move on her. That's when something unexpected happened…

* * *

**End Chapter 17**

(Evil Laugh) CLIFFHANGER!


	18. The Unexpected Outcome

(Battle Music Cue: Night of Fate – KH1 & Re:COM OST)  
Sora charged towards Wind who stood completely confused by the Keyblade Warriors sudden attack. He noticed Sora out of the corner of his eye and grinned.

"You're not getting the drop on me that easy!" Wind declared as he spun around and blocked Sora's first blow with his shuriken, spinning like a saw blade once more. Sora held firm against the weapon's fierce spinning, looking at Wind's grinning expression through the shower of sparks. Finally Sora shoved him back before firing a Firaga at the still grinning Wind. Wind quickly turned in a full circle before throwing the shuriken at Sora, intercepting the Firaga and continuing on towards Sora who quickly blocked with his Keyblade. He glared through the sparks again and for a moment, thought he had seen Wind disappear. He quickly realized that Wind had indeed disappeared and had reappeared behind him, sliding towards his back with his right arm ready to land a blow between his shoulder blades. Sora quickly cast Reflega, just as Wind's elbow crashed into it. Wind disappeared again in just before the burst of light magic shot from around the sphere. Wind's shuriken disappeared in a flash of light only to reappear in its master's hand.

"You're pretty good. You remembered my Wayward Wave." Wind said, before the shuriken started spinning again in his hand. He then threw it down before leaping on top of is, hovering mere inches above it as it continued spinning.

"Why are you guys attacking us?" Sora asked as Wind rolled his eyes.

"Man, you sure have a one track mind. Tell ya, what. You beat me, and I'll tell you why! But you do know that there's no defeating the Wayward Wind!" Wind declared proudly, pointing upwards towards the sky.

"Bring it on!" Sora shouted back before he charged towards Wind who merely crossed his arms over his chest, his smug smile still plastered on his face. Sora stopped about halfway and immediately cast Blizzard which Wind deflected by leaping up in a back flip, allowing the shuriken to launch towards Sora, cutting through the Blizzaga and heading towards Sora. Sora quickly dodge rolled clear and cast Thundaga, not on Wind, but his Shuriken, the resulting bolt of lightning knocking it out of the air. Sora immediately turned and started charging towards Wind who dropped onto one knee, eyes shut, his right hand raised before his face and middle and index fingers pointed straight up between his eyes. Before Sora reached him his eyes shot open, creating the Shuriken on the ground right in front of Sora. The second Sora stepped into the center of the Shuriken a sudden and powerful updraft from the shuriken launched him high into the air. Sora turned and saw Wind flying up towards him, Shuriken in hand, ready to deliver another attack. Sora dismissed his Keyblade, earning a confused look from Wind.

"Take this!" Sora shouted as he summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion to his hands. Wind blinked in shock just as Sora swung both Keyblades around to attack but Wind blocked with the shuriken, the two blades, stopping it from spinning. Wind unexpectedly started grinning again which confused Sora, that is until he suddenly felt an elbow stab him between the shoulder blades and then a mean punch to the back, causing a sudden burst of magic orbs to scatter in all directions. The Shuriken disappeared as Sora fell headfirst towards the ground, leaving Wind standing smug in the air.

"I told ya that you'd lose." Wind said. Sora was stunned due to the attack, unable to move or react due to having been totally caught off guard and then having most, if not all of his magic power being temporarily sapped. He landed with a hard crash, sending up smoke and dust upon impact. Wind hovered down closer to the ground, his arms still crossed. The smoke finally cleared, revealing…

"Huh? What? How are you-?" Wind asked in shock as he saw Sora, standing perfectly normal, clutching his Keyblade and staring at Wind through his helmet. The armor then vanished into his shoulder guard. Sora didn't reply to Wind's question, simply aiming his Keyblade at him.

"Oh so that's how it is huh, well good luck trying to pin me down!" Wind shouted as Sora fired off his Ragnarok Ultima Shoot Lock, the streams of energy heading straight towards Wind who quickly dodged the streams.

"HA! You missed me, so now you're-AUGH!" Wind cried out in pain as the streams of energy arced back around and knocked him out of the sky, landing hard on the ground nearby. Sora didn't miss a beat, quickly leaping towards him and pointing the tip of his Keyblade to his chin.

"Alright, I've beaten you. Now tell me why you're attacking us!" Sora said as Wind scowled. He knew he had been beaten.

"A good King knows when to admit defeat. Now's as good a time as any to learn that lesson." Wind said as Sora scowled.

"What kind of answer is that?" Sora asked angrily, earning a concerned look from Wind.

"Geez, what's your problem? You turned the tide in your favor and now you're mad, what for?" Wind asked.

"You insulted Kairi! That's what you did!" Sora said as Wind paused.

"Was that all? Why would you-…Oh I get it. She's your girlfriend!" Wind said as realization set in.

"Yeah, so don't insult her! The last person to do that was Xehanort and he paid dearly for it!" Sora said as Wind furrowed his brow.

"Who?" he asked.

"Xehanort, the guy who I know you're working for!" Sora replied as Wind shook his head.

"I dunno the Master's name but I'm sure her name isn't Xehanort." Wind replied, earning an arched eyebrow from Sora.

"Her name?" Sora asked in surprise.

"…-Or his name. I really don't know what the Master's name is, but I know that there are two of them. Rain could describe the Master for you more easily. So what'cha gonna do now, mister mighty Keyblade Master? You gonna kill me?" Wind asked. Sora closed his eyes and dismissed his Keyblade. He offered Wind his hand. Wind hesitated before reaching for it. Before he grasped a hold of it however, Wind's smile suddenly returned and he quickly turned the palm of his hand towards Sora, causing a sudden and powerful gust of wind to knock Sora back. Wind leapt to his feet, recalling his Shuriken to his hand.

"HA! You really should learn not to fall for that one, Heart-Bound!" Wind declared as his Shuriken started spinning in his hand. Sora climbed to his feet in time to see Wind flying straight towards him. He quickly raised his Keyblade in a defensive posture just as a light enveloped the both of them. Sora heard a loud metal on metal clang but oddly felt no form of resistance against his Keyblade. Once the light faded, Sora's eyes widened as he saw an armored man holding a shield against Wind's attack. Wind's own eyes widened at the sight of the warrior.

"Light? What are you doing here?" Wind asked in shock.

"The Master sent us to retrieve you. It's time to leave." Light replied. Wind and Sora both arched curious eyebrows.

"We?" They both asked in unison. Light simply motioned to the battlefield around them. Rain had just removed her glasses and was glowing with a radiant blue aura of energy when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Rain, dear, the Master says it's time to come home." Des said sweetly to the now surprised Rainfall. Rain quickly clinched her eyes shut and put on her glasses. The aura around her stopped the second she placed the glasses on her head.

"Very well." Rain said calmly. Sha was glowing with energy, and was about to attack Ven when suddenly…

"IMBECILE!"

Sha was suddenly crushed under the weight of a massive and thick grey metal sword in the hands of Dark.

"GAH! Dark! You idiot I could have finished him!" Sha grunted from underneath the sword.

"And have yourself be destroyed! I think not! The Master demands you return immediately!" Dark yelled angrily as he pulled Sha off the ground. Sha, apparently not seriously harmed by Dark's unexpected attack, grunted in frustration.

"Fine." Sha mumbled. Riku was about to unleash his unique Tier 1 Command Style, Road Walker, for the first time when suddenly he found himself bound by a series of glowing chains of light, holding him in place. Beco was just as surprised as Riku was.

"What in the-?" Beco asked before Mark suddenly landed with his Katana sword drawn.

"Beco, let us depart. The Master is recalling us to their side." Mark said calmly as Beco let out a bored groan.

"Sure, whatever." Beco said. Instantly six of the imploding portals opened up all around them. Dawn, Ion, and Keep each departed on their own and the others started quickly moving towards the other portals.

"Hey! Who are you?" Sora asked as Light and Wind. Light paused and turned towards Sora.

"I am known as Light. You are my wielder. Further introductions are unnecessary." Light said before turning and entering the portal. The ten Keyblade Rebels disappeared into their respective portals, each one of the portals closing behind them and leaving the seven Keyblade wielders alone in the ruins of the Castle that Never Was.

"Where did they go?" Ven asked as they started coming together. They each dismissed their armor if they hadn't already during their battles.

"Probably back to wherever they've been hiding." Terra said with a shrug.

"Glad you could join us, Mickey." Riku said to the King who smiled and chuckled.

"Master Yen Sid sent me. He said that you might need some help so I got here as fast as I could. Axel let me in." Mickey said as Kairi knelt down and hugged him.

"Well, I'm glad that you did. I don't think I was quite ready to take on Rainfall on my own." Kairi said, earning a curious look from Mickey.

"Rainfall?" he asked.

"Your highness, the enemies we just fought…they're our Keyblades in human form." Sora said as Mickey looked at him concerned.

"Keyblades in human form? How did that happen?" Mickey asked as the others shrugged.

"They don't even know how they got to be this way, but I think that their human forms might answer some other questions, now that I think about it." Aqua said.

"Like what, Aqua?" Ven asked.

"Like how come you and Ven seem to have forgotten some of your abilities. I don't think it was memory loss so much as a side effect of the Keyblades taking human form." Aqua explained.

"Do you think that might be why Riku and I aren't progressing as quickly?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"It's possible." Aqua said as Riku shot Sora a smirk and gave him a playful nudge.

"And you said it was because we weren't paying attention." Riku said as Sora rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." He replied.

"I wonder…who were those Keyblades that came to their rescue just now?" Ven asked.

"One of them was my Keyblade, Kingdom Key. I know because he essentially admitted it." Sora said as Riku nodded.

"And I think the one that bailed Two Become One out of the fight with me was Mark of Mastery, Master Eraqus's Keyblade." Riku said.

"I heard Earth Shaker call the one who rescued him, Dark. But whose Keyblade is he?" Ven asked confused.

"Dark? Wait a minute, I remember Kingdom Key saying that he was known as Light. Maybe that means something." Sora said as Mickey hopped up and down excitedly.

"It certainly does, Sora! Remember, you and I wield two very similar Keyblades. The Kingdom Key. Yours is of the Realm of Light, while mine is of the Realm of Darkness. We just saw both the Light and Dark human forms of the same Keyblade." Mickey explained.

"That does make sense." Aqua said as she turned to Sora.

"There's got to be a connection to how all of them gained human forms." Terra said as he scratched his chin.

"I don't think we'll find any answers here, Terra. I think this is what Master Yen Sid sent us here to find. He somehow suspected that our Keyblades were gathered here and told us to check it." Aqua said.

"But we did find out how they were able to stop our Keyblades though." Ven said.

"Yeah. I guess encountering our Keyblades was what we were supposed to find here." Riku said as he turned towards the fallen tower turned bridge.

"Hey, did anyone happen find that report Xehanort wrote?" Terra asked as they stared walking towards the "bridge."

"We were kinda preoccupied, Terra." Riku replied.

"Just thought I'd ask. You never know what there might be." Terra said as Riku remembered something.

"Oh, Kairi, we've been meaning to ask. When Xehanort possessed you, do you remember anything about his plans?" Riku asked as Kairi shook her head.

"Sorry Riku, I don't remember anything. All I remember was feeling like a prisoner in my own body while Xehanort fought you guys." Kairi replied as Terra turned and knelt down to provide a step to climb up on so they could reach the edge of the "bridge." Ven was the first one up.

"We thought we'd at least ask. Terra remembers lots from when Xehanort possessed him." Riku said before climbing onto the bridge.

"Well, I wouldn't say "lots." I'd probably say, a little. It took a lot of concentration just to learn even the smallest of details from his memory." Terra said as he hefted Aqua up onto the bridge.

"Welp at least you're back to your old self again." Mickey said as he approached Terra and set his foot into Terra's hands. The second he did however Terra paused with a semi-disgusted look.

"Ugh, you've got something on the bottom of your shoe." Terra said as Mickey looked at the bottom of his shoe and saw there was a semi-crumpled sheet of paper stuck to it. It appeared to have writing on it. Mickey pulled it off and looked at it for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa, take a look at this, fellas! I think I just found the report you're looking for." Mickey said, holding up the paper. Sora took it and tried to read it but couldn't.

"I can't read it, there's not enough light." Sora said.

"We'll head back to Twilight Town and take a look at it there." Aqua said as Sora pocketed the report.

* * *

**In the Mysterious Castle…**

"**Your performance out there was disgraceful. The Heart-Bound nearly defeated the lot of you and if that had happened…" **The Master said, their sentence dropping off deliberately.

"Forgive us, Master. We underestimated their coordination and skill. We also didn't count on the arrival of the other Heart-Bound joining the battle either." Rain said with a humble bow.

"This only proves that we cannot count on you if we are to succeed in our duties." Mark said, earning a disdainful look from Rain, who lowered her glasses allowing the cat-like slits to form.

"Is that a challenge, Mark?" Rain asked as Mark put a hand on his katana hilt.

"I was referring to everyone except Light, Dark, Seeker, Myself, and the Master of course." Mark said as Rain's eyes twitched.

"Rain, nothing can be gained by fighting amongst ourselves." Des said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Rain pushed her glasses back up, her eyes returning to normal but not looking away from Mark.

"**He raises a valid point. With the exception of Light, Dark, Seeker, and Mark, none of you have managed to succeed in a single mission of your own. Therefore new arrangements must be made." **The Master said, their yellow eyes piercing the darkness again.

"New arrangements?" Dawn asked curiously.

"**From this point forward, Light, Dark, Seeker, and Mark will be deployed on the missions to seek out the Hearts of the Worlds and glean the knowledge from them that we seek. The rest of you are ordered to stay here within the castle walls until we decide that you may leave." **The Master said as the Keyblade Rebels looked at each other with looks of either surprise or disappointment.

"Then what are our orders, Master?" Dark asked as he turned towards the Master.

"**Dark, you shall resume your surveillance of the Heart-Bound, Sora. Seeker, Mark, you will speak with our…agent, and give him instructions that I will relay to you once the meeting is over. Light, you are still relatively new amongst us. We can also sense your fatigue from the constant travel." **The Master said as Light stepped forward.

"With respect, Master, I do not mind. I will perform my duties as instructed." Light said.

"**Even the strongest amongst us must rest. You had just arrived when we sent you on your first mission. Most of us have had months of nothing but time to ourselves. You deserve a rest, Light. We shall have a mission for you to undertake, very soon. For now, everyone but Sha, Beco, Mark, and Seeker are dismissed. Dark, you are free to leave to continue the surveillance." **The Master said as they started dispersing. Light followed most of the crowd to the courtyard where they stopped.

"Man, I can't believe we got beaten so badly!" Wind groaned.

"The Heart-Bound are stronger than we first thought. There is no crime in underestimating your opponent. The true crime is letting that underestimation be your downfall." Dawn said as Rain sighed.

"I still can't believe I didn't account for that one Heart-Bound's entering the fight. It was such a huge blunder on my part. No wonder the Master chose to have me posted on guard duty." Rain said before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"It was not your fault. None of us could have predicted his arrival. Don't let one mistake drag you down. Learn from it and move on." Light said as Rain looked up at him curiously.

"Thanks Light. At least one of us is successful." Rain said with a small smile.

"Indeed. To be given time off by the Master to relax is something to be cherished. And you've earned it especially, Light." Ion said with a smile.

"Yeah, you're a hero!" Keep added excitedly.

"Even someone as great as I am has to learn to share the spotlight on occasion. I'm just glad it's you and not someone light Seeker or Mark." Wind declared with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Please, I'm no one special. I only do what I can." Light said as Rain chuckled.

"So do we, but at least you succeed. Having at least one amongst us be successful, is cause for a celebration to me." Rain said with a smile

"YAH-HOO! It's about time we celebrated my greatness!" Wind declared.

"**NOT YOU!" **Rain and Ion yelled in unison, sparking an argument between the two of them and Wind. Keep started rolling around in laughter at the sight as Light attempted to restore peace to the incident. Dawn merely shook his head and turned to walk away when he noticed that Des was standing away a fair distance from the others, her back turned to them and her head tilted up towards the evening sky as if lost in thought.

"Something troubles you, Des." Dawn said as he approached her, "It concerns me when I see a troubled heart. Doubly so when the heart belongs to you. What is the cause of it?"

"Oh, Dawn. I…I just can't seem to feel the same enthusiasm as the others right now. I have this…weird feeling deep inside my heart that…that something is going to happen." Des said as Dawn glanced towards the others for a moment then back at her.

"Does it have anything to do with Light? I can tell by the way you reacted to him upon our first meeting and when you were formally introduced that you care a great deal about him, yet you hardly even know him." Dawn said as Des turned and smiled at him.

"Don't you believe in love at first sight?" Des asked as Dawn smirked with an understanding chuckle.

"Ah, I see. And to answer your question, yes I do believe in it. It's just a little difficult for me to understand since I see people's hearts. But you mentioned that you have a feeling that something's about to happen. Could you elaborate for me?" Dawn asked as Rain turned towards the crowd of people, Light still trying to stop the argument between Rain, Ion, and Wind, as Des started singing… (Music Cue: Sally's Song – The Nightmare Before Christmas.)

_"I sense there's something in the wind_  
_that feels like tragedy's at hand._  
_And though I'd like to stand by him,_  
_can't shake this feeling that I have."_

Dawn looked at the group, concerned, as Des sang…

_"The worst is just around the bend._  
_And does he notice my feelings for him?_  
_And will he see how much he means to me?_  
_I think it's not to be."_

"Don't cast doubt on yourself so quickly, Des. There is still the chance of telling him your feelings." Dawn said as Des sighed.

"But then what would happen? I sense something terrible will happen at some point in the future…what would happen to him then?" Des asked as Dawn turned his attention back to the group as Des continued singing…

_"What will become of my dear friend?_  
_Where will his actions lead us then?_  
_Although I'd like to join the crowd_  
_in their enthusiastic cloud,_  
_try as I may, it doesn't last._  
_And will we ever end up together?"_

Des sang, earning a look from Dawn as if he were anticipating her answer. He looked dismayed when he noticed her shaking her head as she turned away sadly towards her greenhouse singing …

_"No, I think not, it's never to become._  
_For I am not the one."_

(End Music)

* * *

**End Chapter 18.**

The song above was an unaltered version of "Sally's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

What does Xehanort's Report say? What is the Master planning? Find out in the chapters to come.


	19. When We're Masters

Aqua sat in an armchair in a side room of the old mansion, holding the new Xehanort Report in her right hand but not looking at it. She was leaning on her left hand in thought as it rested on the arm rest. Sora, Ven, and Mickey were taking the opportunity and playing a game on the Command Board against each other. Kairi, Riku, and Terra had stepped out with Axel to go get some refreshments. Aqua looked at the report again, reading it again from the beginning.

"_It seems Terra still retains some control over his body than I first thought. He managed to keep me from attacking his friend, Aqua, and her new apprentice, the boy my Nobody and Heartless knew as, Sora. I did, however, leave them with a couple of old "friends" of Sora's, allowing me to make a retreat elsewhere. I've come to the World that Never Was, the former home of my Nobody, Xemnas, and his group of lackeys known as Organization XIII. I remember that Xemnas was searching for the place where Ventus's body was stored after he lost his heart. While I am here to collect his notes on the matter, it does give me an opportunity to once again ponder this same question that seems to be hounding me lately. _

_This is the first of two scenarios that I've developed. The two hearts that form the X-Blade are separated and the defeated heart is destroyed within the host body. Do the fragments stay within the same heart…or does the X-Blade remain intact? Could Ventus actually be able to wield the X-Blade if he is revived? An interesting conundrum. Then there's the second scenario. The defeated heart is destroyed outside the host body…so what happens to the fragments? Does the other heart still retain these fragments or even the complete X-Blade? Or do the fragments scatter and return to wherever the X-Blade originated? And what possible effect could these fragments have on those who happen to be nearby when the X-Blade shatters? I must look more into this. But I-..." _

The rest of the Report ended in a long squiggly line down to the end of the page as if Xehanort was suddenly distracted by something while writing it although everyone pretty much assumed, correctly, that it was Terra reasserting control over his body. Aqua lowered the page again, looking up towards the ceiling as she did. Her eyes started absently scanning the ceiling until she noticed what appeared to be a hole in the ceiling with the squeaking sound of a bat coming from within. The thought of the creature reminded Aqua of Dawn and then of his words to her during the battle and before he had disappeared.

"_Then perhaps you should give your warning about the darkness to your companion. He harbors much darkness within him. Take my advice to heart, Heart-Bound, for it could just save your life and the life of your friends."_ Dawn had said to her.

"Who was he talking about?" She asked herself softly.

"Did you say something Aqua?" Ven asked before scowling as he landed on one of Sora's Command tiles that happened to have a one thousand GP toll attached to it.

"No, nothing. Keep playing." Aqua said as she leaned back in thought.

"_He's saying that he doesn't sense Vanitas within him anymore. Could Ven actually be possessed by Vanitas, and I just not realize it? But if Vanitas still possesses him, why hasn't he acted by now? Either way, I'm going to need to keep an eye on him…or at least, Sora will. Yeah, Sora knows what to look for in him." _Aqua said as she glanced out the front windows.

* * *

**In town…**

"So those guys were your Keyblades?" Axel asked as Terra nodded. They were standing in the Sandlot waiting until the ice cream shop owner in the Tram Commons returned from his lunch break.

"Yeah. Weird huh?" Terra asked.

"I'll say. I've never heard of anything like that happening." Axel said.

"Neither have we. Aqua's checked Master Eraqus's book on Keyblades and she says that there's no mention of anything like this ever occurring before." Riku said.

"Well at least we know how the door in the Land of Departure was opened and how the Destiny Islands keyhole was unlocked." Kairi said as Terra shrugged.

"But they claim that they don't know about it. That they're the ones not responsible. I think they do know, and they're protecting whoever it is." Terra said as Riku tapped his chin in thought.

"I wonder if Ansem has any ideas." Riku said in thought. Axel then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Three familiar something's to be exact that caused Axel to smile.

"Yo, Hayner! Pence! Olette! Come 'ere, I want you guys to meet a few friends of mine!" Axel called to the trio who started approaching them. They immediately recognized Kairi.

"Hey, Kairi! Long time no see!" Hayner said with a smile.

"Yeah, where've you been? We haven't seen you in months." Pence added.

"I've been around. I've been learning to become a Keyblade Master like Sora actually." Kairi said.

"Sora became a Master! I knew he could do it!" Olette exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, Sora's a genuine Master now. He's got the cool robe to prove it. Oh, but where are my manners? Allow me to introduce, two of Kairi's fellow Apprentices, Riku and Terra." Axel introduced. The two Apprentices in question nodding at the mention of their names.

"Pleasure." Olette said with a polite curtsy.

"Any friend of Kairi and Sora's is a friend of ours. So is this your first time in Twilight Town?" Pence asked.

"Far from it. I spent a whole year here." Riku said.

"I was here three months ago…but it wasn't a pleasant experience." Terra said as Axel leaned towards the Twilight Town Trio.

"It's a touchy subject for him, I'll explain for you guys later." Axel said as Terra sighed and shook his head.

"Axel, it's just something I'm going to have to face. I've got to accept the Darkness within me and the only way to do that is by facing it head on. I'll explain why. Have the three of you ever heard of a man named Xehanort?" Terra asked. The trio looked at each other curiously for a moment before turning back to him and shaking their heads.

"No, never heard of him." Hayner said, surprising Terra.

"Yeah, was he a friend of Seifer's?" Pence asked.

"I don't think Seifer has friends, more like…umm-…" "Henchmen?" Riku asked, filling in the blank for Olette who nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose that's an apt description for them I guess. Fuu and Rai seem to be friends though." Olette said as Riku shrugged.

"But you guys haven't heard of Xehanort?" Terra asked.

"Who is he, Terra?" Pence asked, causing Terra to look surprised. Riku looked up at him with a smile.

"Looks like the Darkness doesn't follow you everywhere after all." Riku said as Terra chuckled and nodded.

"I guess not." Terra said as Hayner tapped his foot impatiently.

"Uh, hello, who is this Xehanort guy?" Hayner asked, crossing his arms.

"Xehanort was a man with a heart of pure Darkness. He was a Keyblade Master at one time but he succumbed to the Darkness and tried to drag the worlds into Darkness as well. He used Terra to do horrible things for him but we ultimately freed Terra of his control and stopped Xehanort once and for all." Kairi explained.

"Remember the guy I told you about? Xemnas? Well he was Terra's nobody in a manner of speaking." Axel said as Terra nodded.

"He's right, although the only thing Xemnas and I had in common was looks." Terra said as Axel shrugged.

"I said he was your nobody, in a manner of speaking." Axel remarked.

"Oh."

"Hey, it's in the past, and you're on the straight and narrow again now right?" Hayner asked as Terra nodded.

"Yes, and hopefully, someday soon, I'll be a Keyblade Master in my own right." Terra said as Riku chuckled slightly.

"Not if I beat you to it." Riku said with a smirk. Terra shot him back a similar smirk.

"So what are you going to do when you become Keyblade Masters?" Olette asked as the three Apprentices looked at each other with smiles on their faces. (Music Cue: When We're Human – Princess and the Frog)

"Well…" they said in unison before Terra summoned his Keyblade and started singing…

_"If I were a Keyblade Master,_  
_I'd head straight for all new worlds,_  
_and I'd swing this blade so hard and strong_  
_like no one they've ever seen."_

_"You've heard of Master Aqua,_  
_and Master Sora, for sure!_  
_All those boys gonna step aside,_  
_when they see the sight this ol' boy makes, watch me!"_

Terra sang as he suddenly started swinging his Keyblade around, leaving streaks of light in all directions after only one swing…

_"When I'm a Master_  
_as I hope to be,_  
_I'm gonna rock those worlds_  
_'til the cows come home_  
_and everyone's gonna bow down to me!"_

The trio and Axel clapped as Terra bowed "humbly" as Riku approached shaking his head.

"Terra-Terra-Terra, that sounds all well and good, but that's nothing to what I've got planned." Riku said as Terra scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Whaddya plan on doing when you're a Master, Riku?" Terra asked as Riku smirked.

"Well…" He said before he started singing…

_"When I'm a Keyblade Master_  
_I want a life that's completely rad'_  
_A great big party every night,_  
_that doesn't sound too bad."_

Riku sang as he put his arms around Olette and Kairi, Olette blushing as he sang…

_"A redhead on my left arm,_  
_a brunette on my right,_  
_a blonde or two to hold the candles._  
_Now that seems just about right_  
_Eh, Terra?"_

He then leapt back onto the Sandlot as he sang…

_"Life is short,_  
_when you're done, you're done._  
_We're on these worlds_  
_to have some fun_  
_and that's the way things are."_

"Tell it Riku!" Terra said as Riku started singing…

_"When I'm a Master_  
_and I'm gonna be._  
_I'm gonna tear it up like I never did before_  
_and that's my official guarantee."_

Then Kairi walked up, shaking her head while smiling all the while.

"Boys, you just don't understand the point of being a Master. Listen…" She said before she started singing…

_"Your modesty becomes you_  
_and your sense of responsibility._  
_I've worked hard for everything I've got_  
_and that's the way it's supposed to be."_

She sang, pointing to herself with her thumb…

_"When I'm a Keyblade Master_  
_at least I'll act like one._  
_If you do your best each and every day,_  
_good things are sure to come your way."_

_"What you give is what you get._  
_Why Sora said that_  
_and I'll never forget,_  
_and I commend it to you."_

Without missing a beat, the three started singing in unison…

_"When we're Masters_  
_and we're gonna be."_

Then Terra sang with a flourish of his Keyblade…

_"I'm gonna rock those worlds!"_

And Riku sang with a grin…

_"I'm gonna live the high life!"_

And then Kairi sang as she turned towards the setting sun…

_"I'm gonna do my best_  
_to take my place in the sun!"_

Then they faced the sun and raised their Keyblades towards the sky, singing…

_"When! We're! MASTE-E-E-E-E-E-RS!"_

(End Music)

"Okay, my question now is…where can I get a Keyblade?" Hayner asked as Axel chuckled.

"Hayner my friend, there is a line and you must get behind it." Axel said as Hayner pondered.

"Ooh is this some sort of riddle to get a Keyblade? Let's see. How do you get behind the line?" Pence asked himself as Axel sweat dropped. Terra, Riku, and Kairi couldn't help but smile and shake their heads at their antics. Olette had been lost in la-la land ever since Riku had put his arm around her during the song as the pink hearts in her eyes would attest to.

* * *

**Later…**

"We're back!" Terra called as he, Riku, and Kairi walked into the room where the others were, a bag full of packaged sticks of sea-salt ice cream on Kairi's arm.

"We were starting to get worried. What took you so long?" Aqua asked curiously as Terra and Riku started doling out the ice cream.

"The shop owner was out to lunch so we had to wait a while." Terra said, handing Aqua her ice cream.

"We ran into Hayner, Pence, and Olette while we were out there. They say hello by the way." Riku added.

"And Axel?" Sora asked.

"He left with them. Something about finishing some sort of business with Seifer." Kairi said as Riku and Terra exchanged knowing looks.

"So what have we got on the Xehanort Report?" Riku asked.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I don't think I'm quite qualified to dispute Xehanort's theories." Aqua said, earning a curious look from Ven.

"What are you talking about? You're a Keyblade Master." Ven said as Aqua nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but I'm still a relatively new Master. There's stuff that I don't know yet that Master Eraqus was just starting to tell me when that whole mess with Xehanort started eleven years ago. We have to remember too that Xehanort was a Keyblade Master and knew a lot about topics such as the Keyblade War and the X-Blade. I'm just not as experienced enough to argue with his theories and have it count." Aqua said as Terra sighed.

"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this but, Aqua's right. Xehanort's theories can't be disputed by any of us. However, that being said, there is one person I know of that technically could dispute them. If I'm not mistaken, he lives not that far from here." Terra said as everyone caught on to what he was talking about.

"Master Yen Sid. You're right, we could take him Xehanort's Reports and let him take a look at them." Ven suggested.

"We should also send Ansem the Wise a copy. It sounds like he's willing to help us after all." Kairi added.

"I'll fax it to him from the lab downstairs. I think Yen Sid should see the original copies." Riku replied.

"Donald, Goofy, and I can talk to Ansem for you guys if you want." Mickey said. Terra seemed relieved by his offer.

"Thanks Mickey. I think Ansem will be more amicable to helping us if I wasn't there." Terra said.

"Ven and I will go see Master Yen Sid. We'll take the train over to his tower." Sora said as Aqua nodded.

"Sounds good to me, then Kairi and I can check the Land of Departure like Yen Sid suggested." Aqua said.

"Uh, and Terra and I can do…what exactly?" Riku asked.

"I could use some practice in accepting the Darkness, Riku. Perhaps some sparring is in order." Terra suggested, earning a nod from Riku.

"Good idea. We both could use the practice actually." Riku said.

"Sounds like you guys are off to Mirage Arena." Aqua said with a smile.

"Master, when can we go there? I'd like to train some more too." Kairi said as Aqua tapped her chin.

"I'll make you a deal. After you and I find whatever it is we're supposed to in the Land of Departure, we'll go to Mirage Arena and let you get some practice time in." Aqua said as Kairi nodded smile.

"Deal." Kairi replied as they all started walking towards the front doors to the Mansion.

"So I guess we'll just leave from here." Riku said.

"Remember to D-Link if you find something." Aqua reminded as they exited the Mansion, preparing to depart for another leg of their journey.

* * *

**End Chapter 19.**

The song above was an altered version of "When We're Human" from Disney's Princess and the Frog. I call this version, "When We're Masters."


	20. Gear, The Treason Blade

Light had been exploring the castle for most of the time since ending the argument between Rain, Ion, and Wind. He stopped in the courtyard outside for a moment to try and figure out where he hadn't been yet when he noticed two figures sitting on the edge of one of the inner walls that over looked the courtyard from the main castle itself. As he looked closer, he realized it was Ion and Keep. He made his way up to the top of the wall and saw them sitting atop the battlements, the chain connecting them looped around one of the battlements for safety.

"Hyah shiny! Come join us!" Keep offered enthusiastically as Light approached. Ion turned and gave him a friendly smile even.

"What are you doing?" Light asked curiously as he sat down on the battlement between them.

"Watching the sunset. It's something of a tradition with us." Ion said, earning a curious look from Light.

"I hope I'm not intruding on your traditions." Light said as Ion chuckled.

"No, you're fine. If you were intruding, Keep wouldn't have invited you over or I would have said something. No, this is a tradition we don't mind sharing. I suspect it has something to do with Keep's and mine Heart-Bound." Ion said as Light turned and looked towards the setting sun.

"Sora?" He asked as Ion nodded. Keep was sitting and happily humming to herself.

"In a way. While Sora is our Heart-Bound, our memories are of a different person. Someone connected to his heart. A Nobody named Roxas." Ion said.

"I am aware of Roxas, as well as Xion, the progenitor of Beco's existence." Light said as Ion's smile faded slightly.

"Mmm, Beco." Ion said with a grim expression on what could be seen of his face.

"Something wrong?" Light asked.

"Beco and I are not exactly on the best of terms. She sides with the Master on nearly everything. I don't know why this surprises me since she is one of the first six of our rank to answer the Master's call." Ion explained, earning a curious look from Light.

"Six? I was only aware of five." Light said before another voice replied.

"He's talking about the traitor." Light turned and saw Rain approaching with a cardboard box in her hands.

"Rain? What do you know of this?" Light asked curiously. Rain opened the box and handed Ion and Keep sticks of sea-salt ice cream. She offered one to Light but he politely refused.

"It's a topic the Master prefers to leave forgotten. Had we all gathered at the same time, there would have been fourteen of us. Unfortunately I don't know as much about it. Dawn would be the one to inquire about it. He was around when it happened." Rain said as she set the box down between the battlements where Ion sat and where she joined them.

"What do you know of it then?" Light asked.

"All I know is that one of our rank, was caught scheming against the Master and was struck down for it. The details of it I'm not entirely sure about. Like I said, Dawn is the one you should talk to about it." Rain said as Light glanced around curiously.

"Where is he then?" Light asked curiously.

"He usually stays up there." Ion said, turning and pointing to the top of a tall bell tower where a dark colored figure stood perched atop a stone gargoyle.

"What does he do up there?" Light asked, not looking away.

"Mostly the same thing we are really. He enjoys watching the sunsets too, he just…likes to keep to himself. He's not a bad guy when you get to know him." Ion said as Rain nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. He's a loner but he's kind regardless. I think those scars on his face bother him sometimes." Rain said as Light turned back to them.

"Then perhaps I shall speak to him. Good evening." Light said as he started walking towards the bell tower. Ion watched him leave before turning towards Rain.

"Did you find out who was on the mission to the Destiny Islands?" Ion asked as Rain nodded.

"Yes. It was Light and Dark. They were both there before the Destiny Islands fell." Rain said as Ion turned towards the sun.

"Do you think he's responsible for the world's fall?" Ion asked.

"Why would either of them do it? We're all Keyblades, and the Hearts of the Worlds might possess the knowledge of how we came to be this way. Sending the Islands into Darkness would defeat the purpose." Rain said with a sigh.

"That doesn't answer my question. Do you think either of them is responsible?" Ion asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I should talk to Light about it or not." Rain said as Ion thought of something.

"Why not, ask him while Dawn is present. Dawn's unique ability to see the hearts of others allows him to sense whether or not they are lying. Asking Light while Dawn is present, will give us a certain answer." Ion said.

"But that could violate Light's trust in us. He's still new, and he doesn't seem to have any malicious intent. He might be a little naïve under that stoic and immovable persona of his but I don't think he'd do anything like that. Either way, there's only one way to find out for sure." Rain said, turning to look up at the bell tower.

**…**

After climbing a dizzying amount of stairs, Light entered through a trap door into a simple wooden room furnished with only a bed, a footlocker, and a set of stairs leading up to the chamber where the bell rested. Before Light could even emerge from the trap door, another one opened from the ceiling and Dawn emerged.

"I saw you approaching the tower and sensed your approach. You shouldn't have troubled yourself with the steep climb, my friend. I would have come down to meet you." Dawn said as Light closed the trap door behind him.

"It is alright. The exercise did me well. I understand from Rain that you know a lot about the organization." Light said as Dawn nodded.

"I arrived only two days after the first ones answered the Master's call. What do you wish to know?" Dawn asked as he motioned to a pair of crates resting on either side of a barrel with a large round table on it.

"Firstly, why do you live in such squalor? Couldn't you have a better room if you wanted?" Light asked as Dawn chuckled slightly before opening his wings and holding up a pocket watch.

"Less than a minute. A new record. I always wonder how long it takes people to ask that question. But the answer is simple. I desire nothing more than what is here. I have simple needs and they've been met. I chose the bell tower because it offers the most unique view of this world." Dawn said as they sat on the crates.

"I see. As to the reason for my visit, I was informed by Rain, that there was once a sixth person who initially answered the Master's call. She said that this sixth one was struck down for plotting against the Master. Who was this person?" Light asked as Dawn's expression darkened. He then absently ran his clawed left hand over one of the scars on his face.

"Mmm…You come wishing to learn of the betrayer. Well, I cannot deny you what you seek, Light, especially after having climbed all those stairs. The story is like this. As I said before, I had arrived two days behind the initial six. I was immediately welcomed by Sha and the sixth member, a man known as Gear." Dawn explained.

"Gear?" Light asked curiously.

"Indeed. Gear would have put you in mind of Wind only in a taller and more matured body. But, unlike Wind, he harbored a deep routed darkness. Darkness greater than any I have beheld before. Mind you, this was before I chose to wear these…" Dawn said, raising his metal clawed hands

"…or, for that matter, this." Dawn added, pointing to his eye patch.

"What happened to Gear? What did he do to get struck down?" Light asked as Dawn motioned to wait and continued.

"It happened about three days after I arrived and a week before Ion and Keep would join us. I was in the courtyard, observing an unusual weather phenomenon for this world. A brewing rainstorm more specifically…"

* * *

**Three Months Ago…**

Dawn stood, staring up at the gathering rainclouds overhead. He had no scars on his face, his uniform-like shirt had long sleeves with purple cuffs around the wrists. He had one bright blue eye on the left side of his face that was a permanent cat-like slit. He then heard the sweeping sound of footsteps on the dusty cobblestone behind him.

"My-my-my. Looks like it's going to rain." An oily sounding man's voice said from behind. Dawn glanced over his right shoulder, spotting the approaching figure. It was a man with large spiked orange hair that gave the illusion it was a number of mechanical orange gears, two piercing blue cats eyes like Dawn. His nose and mouth however was hidden by a black mask. He wore an orange metal choker that gave the illusion of a mechanical gear again. He was dressed largely in black. A black shirt with the right sleeve torn off, revealing a tattoo on his right shoulder of two half-gears arranged in an S shape. He also wore baggy black pants, a pair of black tabi socks, and wicker sandals. On his shoulders were two orange, parallel facing half-gears. Around his waist was an orange belt, once again with the gear motif.

"Gear." Dawn greeted softly. He didn't hold his fellow Keyblade in high regard.

"Dawn, my friend, aren't you concerned about getting a little wet out here? It looks like rain's coming after all." Gear said, slapping Dawn on the back.

"I'm not afraid of a little water. We're Keyblades, we don't melt or rust." Dawn replied as Gear chuckled and moved around to look at him.

"That so? Word has it that, you, my friend, have some kind of unique ability to see into the hearts of people and determine whether or not they wield the light or the darkness. Now I ask myself, what could that ability be used for, hmm? Answer, it can be used to help me find my Heart-Bound." Gear said as Dawn looked away from his fellow Keyblade.

"Why would I want to help you do that? The Master gave specific instructions not to go anywhere until our numbers are full." Dawn said as Gear rolled his eyes.

"Please, if we had to wait for the Master's approval just to go to the restroom, we'd need a new pair of shorts. We have the power to traverse the void between worlds so why not just go now? We'd be ahead of the game once the others have arrived, so then we'll be the ones in the Master's favor. Come on, what's the harm in it?" Gear asked with his oily tone. Dawn looked straight at him, his blue eye looking into Gear's heart and finding only Darkness within.

"If I ever want to purchase manure, at least know who to ask." Dawn said as Gear's eyes widened in shock for a moment before turning to anger.

"Why you insubordinate little twerp. I oughta gut you right here and now for that insult. But, I'm a patient man, and I know what to look for. But mark my words, I can tell that my Heart-Bound still lives, and he's got plans, big plans. I only intend to get the ball rolling. Whaddya say? Will you join me?" Gear asked as Dawn arched a curious eyebrow.

"What would those plans be?" Dawn asked as Gear grinned under his mask and slid his arm over Dawn's shoulders.

"Why, Kingdom Hearts, of course. My Heart-Bound intends to wield the power of Kingdom Hearts once again." Gear said slyly, earning a curious look from Dawn.

"Again?" Dawn asked as Gear nodded.

"Oh yes. He's tasted its power once before, however there is a slight problem. He needs something done first. He needs to find a particular person, a person who carries something special within her heart, and remove that special something from it before his plans can really begin to take shape. It's the hardest part of his plan actually and the rest would be up to us." Gear explained as Dawn glared at him with his blue eye.

"From the way you talk, you sound as if you were planning to overthrow the Master." Dawn said as Gear laughed.

"Please, would I ever dream of over throwing the Master?" Gear asked before Dawn removed Gear's arm from around him. He then turned to him with a serious gaze, his hands lingering around his handguns.

"Would you mind saying that you don't intend to overthrow the Master for me, just so we're certain?" Dawn asked as Gear shrugged.

"Sure. I, do not intend, to overthrow the Master. Happy now?" Gear asked as Dawn's eyes narrowed.

"I would be…had you not been lying to my face." Dawn said, earning a look of surprise from Gear.

"What? What did you say?" Gear asked angrily.

"As you said before, I have a unique gift to see into people's hearts. However, seeing Light and Darkness within their hearts isn't the only thing I see. I can also see when their words are as empty as a Nobody." Dawn said, opening his wings and aiming one of his guns at Gear whose eyes widened even more. Gear then smiled and started chuckling maliciously.

"Ah, Dawn, you're such an idiot. For a minute there, I was going to let you live, but alas you've discovered my secret so now you leave me no choice. It's been nice knowing you." Gear said before stretching out his right arm and summoning forth his Keyblade form, Void Gear. (See A/N Below) Dawn quickly fired his handgun, firing a bullet made of light at Gear but much to Dawn's surprise, the bullet passed right through. Suddenly he felt a pain on his backside. He spun around in time to hear Gear letting out a malicious chuckle as he leapt back away from Dawn. Dawn fired again with both guns but again the shots went through him. This time he saw why. Gear had left an afterimage of himself.

"Cheap trickery won't save you!" Dawn yelled as he opened his wings and launched himself up into the air. He saw Gear standing on the ground, staring up at him. Dawn quickly turned and pulled both triggers, holding them down and firing a steady stream of light bullets at Gear who quickly and nimbly kept sliding around, dodging each attack before stopping all together. Dawn quickly spun around just as Gear appeared behind him in midair, firing off a few rounds before suddenly sensing something behind him. He spun around just in time to be hit head on by a Dark Firaga and send spiraling to the ground.

"Heh-heh, oops." Gear said maliciously as Dawn landed on his back. Then the rain slowly started to fall. Dawn grimaced as he attempted to stand up, only feeling more pain on his face as small flames of darkness seared his skin. He opened his eyes and saw Gear appear in front of him with his Keyblade reared back and then swing.

"AUGH!" Dawn shouted as he felt a terrible pain in his left eye and dropped to the floor in agony. He covered his eye with his hands but then felt a painful burning on his hands. He opened his right eye and saw his hands were burning from the darkness energy that still burned around his eye.

"Ooh, you shouldn't have done that, kid. Now you can't fire those guns of yours to defend yourself. Ah well, where you're goin, you ain't gonna need 'em." Gear said with a smirk as he reared back his Keyblade, ready to perform the final blow. He swung towards him, Dawn shutting his undamaged eye…he heard nothing, felt nothing.

"What the-?" he heard Gear ask in shock. He opened his eye to see a chain made of glowing light, wrapped around his Keyblade. Dawn followed the chain and realized that they were standing outside the main hall's front entrance, and the doors were wide open. The chain stretched all the way inside the main hall and disappeared inside the darkness of the chamber where two pairs of glowing yellow eyes sat glaring at Gear from within.

"**Void GEAR!" **The Master roared angrily, the castle walls letting off a groan as small bits of dust tumbled to the floor inside.

"Why master, what can I do for-…" "Save the excuses, Gear. The Master knows what you were planning." Mark said as he quickly pressed his katana's blade to Gear's throat. Seeker and Dark stood on either side of the open doors and Beco was leaning against the inside of the door on the right, a dark smile across her face. Sha simply stood off to the side, his war hammer over his shoulder.

"Planning what?" Gear asked innocently as his Keyblade form disappeared. The chains around the Keyblade promptly went to around his neck, his eyes widening in shock.

"**Silence, fool! We know you were plotting against us! We shall exact our punishment upon you NOW!"** The Master roared before Gear was suddenly yanked into the chamber by a number of glowing chains that suddenly appeared around his wrists and ankles as Dark, Beco, Seeker, and Mark entered after him, closing the doors behind them. Sha remained behind to tend to Dawn's injuries.

"In the end, the Master killed Gear for his treachery. Gear's and my battle left my face scarred, my eye blinded, and my hands disfigured. Blessedly, I managed to create this eye patch that restored my lost sight. I also created these gauntlets that allow me to use my guns once more. My wounds will never heal completely but, I've learned to accept them as badges of honor. To know they could have been fatal and yet to have recovered completely. As the old saying goes, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Dawn said as Light looked curious.

"I see. This, Void Gear, as he was known. I'm not familiar with him or his Keyblade form. Who is his Heart-Bound, or did he ever have one to begin with?" Light asked as Dawn nodded.

"Oh, he has one. When we first met Wind, Beco and I couldn't help but remark on how similar he looked to Gear only younger. Sha knew the reason however and said that it was because Ventus, the Heart-Bound of Wayward Wind, was in essence, also Gear's Heart-Bound. The difference being, that Ventus was only one side of the same heart. Ventus had the Darkness of his heart, ripped from him, creating a second persona, Gear's Heart-Bound, someone known as Vanitas." Dawn explained, earning a curious look from Light.

"Vanitas? I haven't heard of him." Light said.

"Neither had I until Sha explained it to me. Sha, Rain, and Wind's respective Heart-Bound are all old friends and they know full well of Vanitas's existence. According to Sha, he was destroyed by Ventus when his heart was restored three months ago." Dawn explained.

"I suppose then that we are free of Gear and Vanitas." Light said as Dawn nodded.

"Yes. Though I wonder…" Dawn said, turning away and looking towards the bell overhead with a distant expression.

"About what?" Light asked.

"Gear mentioned that his Heart-bound was still alive. I wonder if by some miracle, he managed to escape his doom. Vanitas I mean. Could the fall of that world the Heart-Bound mentioned be his doing?" Dawn asked before turning to Light.

"Would you ever do such a thing, Light? Allow a world to fall into Darkness?" Dawn asked as Light sat up suddenly, insulted.

"I would never do such a thing! Doing that would be counteractive to our efforts to determine our origins! Besides, doing so would destroy the world!" Light said as Dawn smiled and nodded.

"Forgive me, Light. I had to be sure. I suspicion that the others are going to ask the same question. If they do, be sure to direct them to me. I'll set them straight." Dawn said as Light nodded.

"I understand. Your ability to root out deception is a gift that shouldn't be wasted." Light said as he stood up.

"I suppose then that I've answered all your questions." Dawn said as Light nodded.

"Yes, my friend. You have. I shall leave you in peace now." Light said as Dawn motioned to a square hole in the floor where the bell's ripcord descended from above.

"Feel free to use the shaft. It's much faster than the stairs." Dawn said as a panel of glowing energy appeared over the hole. Light stepped onto the panel with an appreciative nod.

"Thank you, Dawn. Until we meet again." Light said as the panel began lowering him to the bottom floor. Dawn waited until he'd gone and leaned back in his chair.

"If he's not the one who caused that world to fall…then that leaves only one suspect." Dawn said to himself. He then looked at his hands, thinking back to the World that Never Was.

"I wonder…was that him I sensed within that Heart-Bound's heart?"

* * *

**End Chapter 20.**

Void Gear, is the name of Vanitas's Keyblade. It can actually be acquired in the American release and Final Mix editions of Birth by Sleep, albeit a black and white version of it. It can be assumed then that Vanitas's Keyblade is also named Void Gear.


	21. Burning Heart of Passion

Sora, Ven, Aqua, Kairi, Terra, Riku, and Mickey stood outside the old mansion, discussing their plans once again.

"Right, so to recap, Kairi and I are going home to the Land of Departure. Once we find what Master Yen Sid wants sent us there for, we'll check in with you guys and then join Terra and Riku at Mirage Arena. Mickey will meet with Ansem in Radiant Garden, while Sora and Ven meet with Master Yen Sid here in Twilight Town." Aqua said as the others nodded.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Sora said as he rested his hands behind his head.

"Good, then I suppose we'll be going." Terra said as he and Riku summoned their armor.

"Sora, you still have my Lucky Charm, right?" Kairi asked as Sora fished into his pocket and showed Kairi said, Lucky charm with a smile on his face.

"You know I'd never lose it, Kairi." Sora said before Kairi kissed him on the cheek, causing him to turn a deep shade of red with a goofy expression on his face. Neither of them noticed as Ven and Aqua looked at each other then nervously looked away.

"I know you won't." Kairi said with a smile before she turned and summoned her armor. Aqua turned and did the same almost instantly after she did.

"Riku do me a favor, if I ever fall for a girl; beat me senseless so I can actually come to my senses." Terra said as Riku laughed and punched him in the arm.

"There's that sense of humor I was talking about! See, you're improving already." Riku said as they, along with Aqua and Kairi, turned and summoned their Keyblade Riders.

"You'll be sure to show Master Yen Sid, Xehanort's Reports right, Sora?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.

"You bet." Sora said as Aqua turned back. Almost instantly the four Keyblade Warriors lifted off and took to the stars, flying off in opposite directions.

"Your highness, how will you get to Radiant Garden?" Sora asked as Mickey chuckled.

"Same way you used to get around Sora. Look." Mickey said as the Gummy Ship appeared overhead in a flash of light. Donald and Goofy sat at the controls in the domed section of the ship.

"See ya fellas real soon!" Mickey said with a laugh before being teleported onto the Gummy Ship which disappeared soon after.

"Come on Ven; let's go see Master Yen Sid about these reports." Sora said as he and Ven started walking down towards town.

"Yeah, okay." Ven said somewhat despondently.

"Oh, hey, I've been meaning to ask. I know she's your Master and all, but how are things between you and Aqua?" Sora asked as Ven scratched the back of his head.

"Things are…okay. We haven't really had a chance to get close though." Ven said. Sora looked at him curiously.

"Why's that?" Sora asked as they entered back into the Tram Commons.

"We kinda made an agreement when we got back from that little vacation to the Destiny Islands that we'd wait until I passed my Masters Qualification Exam before we tried anything like dating. She says it would be unethical of her, as my master, to have any sort of romantic involvement with me, her student." Ven said as Sora nodded, putting his hands behind his head like he usually would.

"I know what you mean. She said the same thing to me once while we were trying to restore you." Sora said as they stopped to allow the tram to pass by.

"I can't argue with her on that. But ever since we both shared our true feelings with each other the day I was restored, three months ago, we just haven't…Mmm, what's the right word?" Ven asked as Sora shrugged.

"I dunno. What are you trying to say?" Sora asked as they entered the market street. Ven sighed slightly.

"I dunno. We just aren't connecting anymore if that makes any sense." Ven said as Sora stopped.

"You mean you don't know if she likes you anymore?" Sora asked as Ven lowered his head slightly.

"I'm not sure anymore, Sora. I mean, what if she's starting to like Terra, or even you more?" Ven asked as Sora stifled a laugh.

"Me? Why would you think Aqua would be interested in me?" Sora asked with an amused expression.

"Because you're just like me, Sora, and you're a Master so that awkward Master, Apprentice thing isn't there to hinder you two anymore." Ven said as Sora burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ven asked confused as Sora composed himself.

"Ven, Aqua will always be my Master. She'll also be my friend, just like you, Terra, and Riku are to me. Kairi and I…well, we don't do anything about our relationship either for the same reason yet we know full well that we love each other." Sora said with a smile.

"Then…how do I know if Aqua still loves me, but not just as her Apprentice or just her friend? I want to be more than that. So how do I…know?" Ven asked as Sora sighed. He then happened to glance down the road leading to the alley and an idea popped in his mind.

"Ven, I think we're going to have to take a slight detour." Sora said as he started walking towards the Alley. Ven arched a curious eyebrow.

"Huh? But what about Master Yen Sid and Xehanort's Reports?" Ven asked as Sora stopped and turned towards him.

"If we get in trouble for being late, then it'll be my fault and Aqua can yell at me all she wants. I'll accept full responsibility for making us late. But we've got to settle your insecurities about Aqua's feelings about you right away." Sora said as he and Ven both walked into the Alley together.

**…**

"Well this is a surprise. I thought you had left with the others." Axel said as he saw Sora and Ven enter the Usual Spot where he, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were gathered.

"We were going to see Master Yen Sid, but Ven here started feeling down, so I thought he could use a little boost." Sora said as Hayner hopped off the crate he was sitting on.

"Well, sure. Anything to help out a friend in need." Hayner said as Pence looked at Ven curiously.

"Say, don't you look a little bit like Roxas?" Pence asked.

"Pence, this ain't Roxas." Axel said.

"Yeah, Roxas is with me now. He and a mutual friend of Axel's are both with me." Sora said as Axel chuckled, looking up at the ceiling in thought.

"Ah, Xion. Such fun times." Axel said, lost in his memory.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Ventus but everyone else calls me Ven." Ven said.

"Well since you know Axel, I'm Hayner."

"I'm Pence."

"And I'm Olette."

"This your first time in Twilight Town?" Hayner asked as Ven looked at Sora who shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Ven said.

"So what's the problem, Ven?" Axel asked, putting his hand on the youth's shoulder.

"Ven's a little down. He doesn't know if Aqua still loves him or not." Sora said. Axel furrowed his brow at the comment.

"Wait, hold it, you mean he…and Aqua…they're-…" Axel said, holding his two index fingers parallel to each other and moving them close together. Sora nodded with his arms crossed.

"Whoa, you mean the girl with the blue hair and the Keyblade, the girl who was your Master? The girl who Axel groped and was almost killed by? That girl?" Hayner asked as Ven nodded.

"Yeah, Axel's lucky to be alive on that one." Ven said with a chuckle.

"So what exactly are you not getting, Ven? How could she not be head over heels for you?" Axel asked as he walked over towards the stove in the corner.

"Well…" Ven said, quickly giving a rundown of the circumstances.

"It does sound pretty hard. Waiting until you're a Master and not being able to do anything until then is pretty rough." Olette said, putting a comforting hand on Ven's shoulder.

"Yeah. Too bad we don't know that much about love." Pence said as he scratched the back of his head while nervously looking away from Olette.

"I'd almost suggest dragging Fuu in here so we at least have another girl's opinion. But she's always hanging around with Seifer and the gang." Hayner said with a groan. Axel adopted a mischievous grin.

"I know, Sora, but on a black wig and channel Xion!" Axel said as Hayner, Pence, Olette, and even Ven laughed. Sora simply crossed his arms and scowled at Axel.

"Axel, I'm a Keyblade Master now. I can kick your butt. Plus Xion doesn't find that funny…Roxas on the other hand…" Sora said as he could sense his Nobody's amusement inside of him which was silenced rather abruptly, Xion's interference, probably.

"Well at least Roxas still finds it funny. But seriously. Ven, you would seriously doubt Aqua of all people? Does she even know you love her?" Axel asked as Ven and Sora both nodded.

"Yeah. The day I was restored, we both confessed our feelings. We just can't do anything until I'm a Master…but what if that doesn't change anything?" Ven asked as Axel sighed and leaned against the stove before he started singing… (Music Cue: A Guy Like You – Hunchback of Notre Dame)

_"Listen, this heart of a lover_  
_is glowing this evening."_

"Um, Axel." Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Sora said, pointing towards him rather frantically. Axel leaned forward and looked behind him, before sighing and shrugging casually before adding…

_"True, that's because I'm on fire._  
_But still, there's "l'amour."_

With a snap of his fingers, the fire on his rump was out and he quickly grabbed his old Organization robes off a peg on the wall before continuing…

_"Somewhere out there in the night_  
_her Heart is also a light,_  
_and I know the guy she just might_  
_be burning for."_

Axel sang as he traced a heart made of flames around Ven with his fingers which extinguished itself soon after. He then put his arm around Ven as he sang…

_"A guy like you_  
_she's never known, kid._  
_A guy like you,_  
_a girl does not meet every day._  
_You've got a look,_  
_that's all your own, kid._  
_Could there be two?"_

Axel sang before Sora, Hayner, Pence, and Olette sang…

_"Like you?_  
_No way!"_

Then Axel jumped back in singing…

_"Those other guys_  
_that she could dangle_  
_all look the same_  
_from every boring point of view._  
_You're a surprise_  
_from every angle._  
_You're way above_  
_she's gotta love_  
_a guy like you."_

Then Pence started singing…

_"A guy like you,_  
_gets extra credit._  
_Because it's true,_  
_you've got a certain something more."_

Pence stumbled as Axel groaned, face palmed, and added…

_"You're aces, kid."_

Then Olette started singing…

_"You see that face,_  
_you don't forget it."_

Then Hayner, Pence, and Sora sang…

_"Want something new?"_

"That's you." Axel said, pointing at Ven before the five of them sang…

_"For sure!"_

Then Olette started singing, glancing at Axel as she sang…

_"We all have gaped_  
_at some Adonis."_

But then she looked at Pence as she sang…

_"But then we crave a meal_  
_more nourishing to chew."_

Then Hayner jumped in, making a picture frame with his fingers towards Ven as he sang…

_"And since your hair,_  
_looks like it exploded."_

Then the five of them sang together, Axel and Sora glaring daggers at Hayner for the remark since their hair also looked like it exploded…

_"No question of,_  
_she's gotta love_  
_a guy like you!"_

Then Axel, overdramatically putting the back of his hand to his forehead and his other hand over his chest as he sang…

_"Call me a hopeless romantic_  
_but Ventus, I feel it."_

Then Sora chimed in singing…

_"She wants you so_  
_any moment she'll walk through your door…"_

Then they started walking around the room, hopping a little on their feet as they sang…

_"…FOR!_  
_A guy so swell._  
_A guy like you,_  
_with all you bring her._  
_A fool could tell_  
_it's why she fell_  
_for you-know-who!"_

Then they turned towards Ven as they sang…

_"You ring her bells!_  
_You're one hum dinger!"_

Then Axel sang…

_"If she wants ooh-la-la,_  
_then she'll want you la-la!"_

Ven blushed furiously at that with a small smile on his face as they sang…

_"She will discover, guy_  
_you're one heck of a guy_  
_who wouldn't love a guy! Like! You-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u!"_

(End Music)

"Well, Ven, you feel any better about Aqua's feelings towards you?" Sora asked as Ven smiled and nodded.

"Yeah…you're right guys. Aqua and I will always love each other. Nothing will ever change that. Thanks, you really helped me out." Ven said as Axel chuckled.

"No charge, pal. Got it memorized?" Axel asked, tapping the side of his head.

"Well, I hate to have to run but, we've really gotta be going. We've still got a mystery to solve and worlds to protect." Sora said as the others nodded.

"Going to see Master Yen Sid huh?" Axel asked, earning a confused look from Sora and Ven.

"How did you know?" Ven asked.

"The guy's got me doing some odd jobs in his tower on occasion. Sweeping the floors, washing windows, keeping out Heartless. Stuff like that. He won't let me touch his hat for some reason. Probably afraid I'd give him lice or flood the tower or something. Oh well, he's paying me so what do I care?" Axel asked with a shrug.

"Yeah, don't touch the hat. Mickey found that out the hard way from what I hear." Ven said as Sora cleared his throat.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye again." Hayner said as Sora and Ven shrugged.

"It's always hard to say goodbye to you guys. I guess a part of Roxas will always be here with the four of you." Sora said as the others nodded.

"We probably should get going. We've gotta find out what those Keyblades of ours are up to and put a stop to them." Ven said.

"We understand. We hope you win." Pence said as Olette nodded.

"We'll be rooting for you." Olette added.

"Yeah, and hey, is Kairi available?" Hayner asked.

"**NOOO!" "Eh no!"**

* * *

**End Chapter 21**

The Song above was a slightly altered version of "A Guy Like You" from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Oh, and that **"NO!" "Eh no" **Thing is an homage to "Organize This," a flash animated fan made series about Organization XIII on YouTube. Look it up and watch it, it's well worth it.


	22. Yen Sid & The Restless Darkness

"This is very intriguing." Yen Sid said as he finished reading the reports. Sora and Ven were in Yen Sid's study in his tower.

"Did you get anything from them, Master Yen Sid?" Sora asked. Yen Sid started running a hand through his beard in thought.

"Despite his villainy, Xehanort was an intelligent man. I cannot find a single problem with any of his theories. It might even explain how the Keyblades have managed to gain these human forms." Yen Sid said earning confused looks from the two before him.

"Huh?" Sora asked curiously.

"I cannot say for certain, and I don't want to make assumptions until I have read the next report, provided that one exists." Yen Sid said.

"Is there anything you need us to do?" Ven asked as Yen Sid pondered.

"Hmm…you say that Aqua and Kairi are presently headed to the Land of Departure?" Yen Sid asked.

"Yes sir, just like you told them." Ven said.

"Then I shall not disturb them…however, one thing still concerns me." Yen Sid said.

"What is it?" Sora asked as Yen Sid stood up from his chair and turned towards the window.

"You say that the Keyblades mentioned a Master?" Yen Sid asked as the two nodded.

"Yes sir." Sora replied.

"Hmm…I have a task for you, for the two of you to undertake." Yen Sid said, turning back to them.

"What is it Master?" Ven asked as he and Sora stood at attention.

"It it a dangerous task, but one I can only trust a Master to undertake. I need the two of you to try and capture one of the Keyblades and bring them to Radiant Garden. Ansem the Wise will know what to do. Oh and you must ensure that Kairi is there as well when he begins his study. There is a theory I wish to test." Yen Sid said as Sora and Ven both nodded.

"Yes sir, we'll do our best to capture one." Sora said before they both bowed and turned to leave. Yen Sid watched them both leave with a suspicious gaze. His thoughts weren't of the recent developments with the Keyblades, but of something much darker than them.

"It is as I feared."

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Terra and Riku touched down on the external landing platform of Mirage Arena, dismissing their Keyblade Riders but not their armor.

"Did Sora ever mention where he got those photos of Aqua?" Terra asked as Riku laughed.

"Nope. He said he got them from a mutual friend of yours, Aqua's, and Ven's. He didn't elaborate." Riku said as they teleported into the arena lobby. Their helmets disappeared as soon as they entered.

"Ho-ho, boy does Aqua get mad when I mention those. She shoots death rays from her eyes at times." Terra said as Riku paused and glanced at the elder Apprentice.

"Terra, can I ask you something." Riku said as Terra turned towards him.

"Sure."

"What…what exactly is yours and Aqua's relationship? Is it romantic or-…" Riku said, allowing his sentence to drop off. Terra chuckled with a smile.

"Aqua's and my relationship isn't romantic. We've been friends for as long as either of us can remember. She's like my sister. I tease her about being girly at times since I know it annoys her. She's always tried to be more…Mmm, boyish. But she's a true friend. I keep forgetting she's a Master…and I guess I can't get it through my head that she's my Master now." Terra said as he sat down on the rim of the sunken central portion of the Arena. Riku sat down next to him.

"And Ven?" Riku asked as Terra smiled.

"Ven's been like my little brother. Ever since the day Xehanort brought him to us, we were friends almost instantly. Master Eraqus was so proud at how quickly we took Ven in. He was always proud of us no matter what happened…even when I-…" Terra said, his sentence dropping off.

"Sora told me about what happened to Eraqus. He-." Riku said but was interrupted by a dark glare from Terra.

"Riku, I know he was never your Master, but please, humor me and refer to him as Master Eraqus." Terra said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. You're right, I should refer to him as Master Eraqus, since he was a Keyblade Master. I wish I could have met him." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"Yeah, so do I. But he lives on, inside my heart." Terra said, placing his hand over his heart.

"And inside Aqua, and even Ven's hearts too. Your memories of him keep him alive." Riku said but Terra shook his head.

"No, you misunderstood what I meant. You're right, our memories do keep him alive, it's just that…well…" Terra said as Riku arched a curious eyebrow.

"What?" Riku asked as Terra sighed.

"Did-…did Aqua or Sora, ever tell you how Master Eraqus died?" Terra asked as Riku shook his head.

"I imagine that Xehanort killed him." Riku said as Terra sighed.

"He did, but not without my help." Terra said. Riku's eyes widened at the revelation.

"What?"

"I was tricked. Xehanort tricked me into becoming his pawn. I fought Master Eraqus and defeated, but didn't kill him. Xehanort was the one who killed him. Stabbed in the back by Xehanort's Keyblade. However, in doing that, Xehanort had released the Master's heart and it took root, permanently, within my own, giving me the strength to hold on and endure throughout those eleven years of endless nightmares. Like Ven rested within Sora's Heart, the Master's heart rests in mine. It's helped me to heal much of the scarring left from the Darkness on my Heart, but the wounds won't truly heal. I know, and I accept that. But, that's why Aqua and Sora paired me with you for this mission." Terra explained as he turned to Riku.

"Riku, when Aqua and Sora paired us off, they said that we would be the only group without a Master. They were wrong. Riku, you've mastered the Darkness inside of you. Now I'm asking you, to help me master mine. I may never be a True Keyblade Master like Aqua, or Sora, or even Master Eraqus, but to me, mastering my own Darkness is all that matters." Terra said as Riku smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"So then…shall we get started?" Riku asked as Terra smiled and nodded. Riku then stood up and walked towards the computer console.

"So, when did you learn the difference between accepting the darkness and succumbing to it? Was it during the battle?" Riku asked as Terra nodded.

"Yeah. Oblivion was the one who told me the difference. I wouldn't mind some more elaboration though." Terra said as Riku paused for a moment then typed something into the Computer.

"I'll explain in the arena." Riku said as he turned towards the sunken section of the arena where a pillar like portal of spinning grey energy appeared. Riku and Terra both walked into it and found themselves within a simple room of stark white walls and white flower themed fixtures. Terra looked around as if he recognized the area.

"Wait, I know this place. I was here once." Terra said as Riku nodded.

"I'd hope so. It's the Land of Departure, after Aqua's alterations and before Ven was restored. Aqua explained to me once that she had made it so that once Ven was restored, the changes she had made would undo themselves. This is Castle Oblivion." Riku said as Terra's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Now I remember. Xehanort followed Aqua and Sora here when Ven's heart had fully reawakened." Terra said as Riku shrugged.

"I wouldn't know about that. I chose this arena because it reminds me of where I finally accepted my Darkness. Let me ask you something, Terra. What do you know about Sephiroth?" Riku asked.

"Not much I'm afraid. But why do you ask about him?" Terra asked.

"Because he knows that I'm looking for him." A voice said from behind Terra. Terra turned and saw the spiky haired blond SOLDIER approaching.

"You're both friends with Sora, right?" Cloud asked as the two nodded.

"Yeah." Riku said as Cloud looked at Terra curiously.

"I feel like we've met before." Cloud said as Terra nodded.

"We have, in a way. Our paths crossed here in Mirage Arena three months ago. You saw a man named Xehanort use Sephiroth to force another man named Mateus succumb to the Darkness within him and become a Heartless. Xehanort was the name of the man who was possessing my body at the time." Terra explained.

"So that explains why I feel like your hair should be white. Anyway, you were saying something about Sephiroth." Cloud said as Riku nodded.

"I know what he is. Despite what some of us may think, he's not a Heartless." Riku said, earning a curious look from Terra.

"He's not?" Terra asked.

"No. He's the embodiment of Cloud's Darkness. It could probably be said that he's a near-Heartless. He's the result of what happens when someone tries to resist the Darkness within them and not accept it. Darkness is inherent to all Hearts accept for the seven Princesses of Heart like Kairi. Most people accept the fact that they have Darkness within them or don't even notice. It's when we know that there's Darkness in our hearts, and then try to force it out or deny it's existence, that it becomes something like Sephiroth." Riku explained.

"How do you know that?" Cloud asked.

"Because it was in Castle Oblivion, I constantly faced and eventually accepted the embodiment of my Darkness. Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness." Riku said as a semi-transparent image of Xehanort's Heartless appeared over Riku but disappeared soon after.

"So then…accepting the Darkness inside of me is the only way to destroy Sephiroth?" Cloud asked as Riku shook his head.

"Not completely. Sephiroth will always exist within you. You have to accept the fact that he's as much a part of you as you are a part of him. It's your own resistance of your Darkness that feeds him. He wants you to succumb to the Darkness because he knows that if you do, he'll have won and then you both will become a Heartless. Frankly, I'd rather not have to fight him and the resulting Nobody." Riku said as Terra glanced at Cloud.

"Sounds like we should spar with each other then." Terra said, earning confused looks from both Riku and Cloud.

"Why's that?" Cloud asked as Terra glanced at his lucky charm.

"My Master, Master Eraqus, told me on the day of my Master's Qualification Exam, right before I fought Aqua, that when two equal powers battle each other, their true nature is revealed. If we spar, then it'll give Riku, a Master of controlling the Darkness within him, the opportunity to find what we need to do." Terra said as Cloud glanced towards Riku.

"You okay with this?" Cloud asked as Riku nodded.

"Terra's right. If you want to defeat Sephiroth, then this is the best way to learn how." Riku said as Cloud nodded and drew his large bandage wrapped sword. Terra smiled and allowed his helmet to reappear on his head as he summoned his Keyblade.

"To be fair, since it is a friendly sparing match, swords only." Cloud said as Riku and Terra both nodded.

"Sounds fair." Riku said.

"The Masters Qualification Exam was the same way." Terra said as he and Cloud dropped into their respective fighting stances.

"Give me everything you've got, Cloud. Don't hold back." Terra said as Cloud nodded.

"I won't." he said calmly before they both clashed, their blades sending off a shower of sparks with each connecting blow. Riku stood off to the side, watching with a concentrating look. About halfway through the match, Riku noticed a dark aura rising from both Cloud and Terra and smirked.

"There's what I was looking for." Riku said as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to sense and weigh the darkness within their hearts carefully. Finally Cloud and Terra stopped, both breathing heavily from the fight.

"Alright, I think I've got enough. Cloud, you've got a ton of darkness in you, but it's surrounded by light. I can tell that it's the light given to you by those you cherish most." Riku said as Cloud looked towards the ceiling.

"Aerith, Zack, Yuffie…Tifa." Cloud said, earning a curious look from Terra.

"Zack? As in black spiky hair and a sword? That Zack?" Terra asked as Cloud nodded.

"Yeah. He's gone now. But I owe him." Cloud said, reliving his most vivid memories of Zack in an instant.

"I heard. I'm sorry. I only knew Zack for a short time. He was a good man, and an excellent fighter." Terra said.

"He was." Cloud said before turning to Riku.

"So, about the Darkness within me." Cloud said.

"Right. My advice is to stop searching for Sephiroth. Searching for him only means you're resisting the darkness. If you want to master him, you will have to let him come to you. Go somewhere where you're surrounded by light, by friends. Like Radiant Garden." Riku said as Cloud rubbed the back of his neck.

"Alright. I'll do it." Cloud said.

"And me?" Terra asked.

"Yours isn't as heavy as it once was Terra. You've started accepting the darkness within you already. Just stay close to good friends with light and you'll eventually master the darkness within you." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"Alright. Thanks Riku." Terra said. None of them noticed as the arena faded out around them, depositing them back in the lobby.

"So, Cloud, you up for another fight? No holding back, full arsenal of magic and abilities?" Terra asked as Cloud hefted his sword onto his back and walked towards the teleporter.

"Not interested."

And with that, Cloud vanished from the arena.

"He's got a ways to go, doesn't he?" Terra asked as Riku nodded.

"Yeah, but as long as he has friends, he'll overcome his Darkness." Riku said before he and Terra both turned towards the computer console, only to pause at the sight of two people with their backs turned to them. The first was a man clad in black armor that covered his entire body with the odd black horn or spike. Sheathed on his back was a black sword along with a black lance. To his right was a blond haired woman with a large white cape draped down behind her.

"Um, excuse us." Terra said, earning the attention of the two who turned towards them.

"Oh, hello there. Please forgive our not noticing you. We were a little preoccupied at the moment." The woman said with a smile. She was a beautiful woman clad in low cut silver and white clothing, a series of pink and purple cloths draped around her waist along with a belt with a sword on her right, a pair of white leggings with metal decorative cuffs around her knees and a pair of purple boots. Around her forehead however looked to be a gold crown.

"It's alright. We were a little preoccupied also." Riku said as he and Terra approached.

"I'm Terra, and this is Riku. We're just here to practice a little." Terra explained as the woman and armored man nodded.

"An honor and a pleasure. My name is Cecil Harvey and this is my childhood friend, Rosa Farrell." The armored man introduced as the woman smiled and curtsied.

"So what brings you two here?" Riku asked, earning a sigh from Cecil. (Final Fantasy IV)

"To be honest, I'm trying to overcome the Darkness within my heart. I came here in the hopes that I could confront my Darkness here, but I don't know how. Rosa just came along for moral support." Cecil explained as Rosa (Also Final Fantasy IV) nodded in agreement.

"Well, maybe the two of us could help. We've got some experience in the department of dealing with ones inner Darkness." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"You do?" Rosa asked as Riku and Terra summoned their Keyblades.

"We'd be honored to help. As Wielders and Apprentices of the Keyblade, it is our duty to help ward off the Darkness whenever possible." Terra said as Rosa smiled and turned to Cecil.

"I told you there would be someone here to help you out." Rosa said.

"Too bad he's gonna become a Heartless instead!" a voice called out, alarming them all, causing them to turn and see…

"Pete! What are you doing here?" Riku asked as he and Terra dropped into battle stances.

"Oh I'm here workin' for my new bosses in creating brand new Heartless for them. It just so happens that Cecil here, hasn't told you everything about himself and the Darkness within him. Did he tell you that he's a Dark Knight?" Pete asked. Terra and Riku looked at each other then at Cecil.

"You're wrong about him! Cecil wants to do good! He only needs to overcome the Darkness within him!" Rosa yelled at Pete who crossed his arms with a smug expression.

"Is that so?" a man's voice asked. All of a sudden, a flash of light appeared overhead and a man clad in black armor, similar to Cecil's dropped down with a spear in his hands.

"I thought you might show up here, Kain!" Cecil said as he drew his lance. Kain's (Final Fantasy IV) armor was black but had a dragon motif to it. His eyes and nose was hidden by the dragon's-head shaped helmet he wore but his mouth was exposed.

"With so much darkness present, how could I not notice you, Cecil. I am amused by the fact you came here to flee from your past sins. You know there is no forgiveness for you. You are beyond the redemption of the Light." Kain said.

"You're wrong about that. If Riku can overcome the Darkness, so can Cecil." Terra said, earning a curious look from both Pete and Kain.

"Bold words for one who was once the vessel for a very powerful darkness himself." Kain said, earning a dark glare from Terra.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, he does look familiar. Where have I seen you before, bub?" Pete asked as Terra turned his glare towards him.

"You mean you don't recognize me? You don't recognize your old leader, Xehanort?" Terra asked as Pete's eyes widened.

"X-X-Xehanort? You're alive? How did you-?" Pete stammered before earning a slap on the back of the head from Kain.

"Fool. The Darkness that was Xehanort is no more. From what I've been told by Sephiroth, Terra here, was merely Xehanort's host for eleven years." Kain said as Pete crossed his arms.

"Well-well-well. Xehanort is dead after all. You're probably nothing without him." Pete said with a smug smirk, not noticing the imploding portal appearing behind him and Kain.

"I shall be the judge of that." A voice said from within the Portal. From it emerged someone who Riku recognized. It was Mark.

"Oh, it's you. Whaddya want this time?" Pete asked. Mark glared at him stoically.

"Take this portal and summon the special Unversed in the world on the other end. I shall test, the former Xehanort's skills." Mark said, drawing his Katana as Pete nodded.

"You got it mister. See ya later kids!" Pete said with a laugh before he disappeared into the portal which closed behind him.

"Well then Cecil, it's time we end your pointless attempts at finding the Light within you." Kain said as Cecil motioned to wait.

"Better idea, what's say we do this in the arena." Cecil said as he hit a button on the arena console, causing all six of them to vanish into the Arena.

* * *

**End Chapter 22.**

I do not own Cecil, Rosa, or Kain. They are from Final Fantasy IV.

I've received an interesting question from various readers (You know who you are), wondering this…

"If I had to choose a different theme song for this story besides Utada Hikaru's Sanctuary or Simple & Clean, what would it be?"

Well after much thought, I'm split between two songs. First is "Mad Surfer" by Kenichi Asai (Which was the closing theme for Bleach's Weird Zanpakuto Tales story arc which this story is partly based on) or "Papermoon" by Tommy heavenly6 (Which was the second opening theme for the Soul Eater Anime). Although technically I suppose the theme song for the story could be Papermoon while Mad Surfer is the closing theme.


	23. Mark of Mastery & The Dragoon

Terra suddenly found himself within what appeared to be the throne room of the Land of Departure's Castle.

"What? How did I get here?" Terra asked confused.

"Terra!" he heard a female voice call. He turned and saw Rosa approaching him from nearby.

"Rosa? If you're here, then where's Riku and your friend Cecil?" Terra asked as Rosa shrugged.

"I don't know. I only hope that they're together." Rosa said as Terra nodded.

"If they're together then they're safe. Riku knows what he's doing." Terra said as Rosa looked around.

"Do you know where we are?" Rosa asked.

"My homeworld. The Land of Departure." Terra replied.

"Also, my world of origin." A voice said. They both turned to see Mark walking towards the thrones at the end of the room.

"You! You're one of the Keyblades!" Terra shouted, summoning his own Keyblade and pointing it at Mark who turned and nodded.

"I am. I am known as Mark of Mastery. Or just Mark to my comrades. You are Terra, the Heart-Bound of Earth Shaker, who regrets that he couldn't be here at the moment." Mark said as he placed a hand on his katana's hilt.

"What did you do with Cecil and the other boy?" Rosa asked worriedly.

"They should be entertaining Cecil's friend, Kain, at the moment, I believe." Mark replied as Terra turned to Rosa.

"Don't worry. As long as Riku's with him, Cecil will be fine." Terra said, calming the woman.

"I hope so." She said worriedly.

"Now as for you. We've asked your other friends numerous times but they seem to know nothing about this, so I'll ask you. Are you the one responsible for the fall of the Destiny Islands into Darkness?" Terra asked as Mark paused for a moment.

"The fall of the Destiny Islands was not my personal doing. More than that, I shall not say." Mark said as Terra stepped towards him.

"Then tell me, who is!" Terra said as Mark drew his sword.

"You will have to defeat me first in order to learn that information, and to defeat me, you shall need to embrace the Darkness within you." Mark said as Terra scowled at him.

"Never! I will never embrace the darkness! It may be a part of me now, but I won't let it control me!" Terra said as Mark arched a curious eyebrow.

"Is that so? Then perhaps you need a little…incentive." Mark said before waving his free hand across in front of him. Almost instantly a giant cage dropped down from overhead, on top of Rosa.

"What? ROSA!" Terra shouted as the cage suddenly disappeared along with Rosa, only to reappear over the thrones with Rosa inside of it.

"I shall make you a deal, Heart-Bound. You defeat me, the girl goes free. But if I defeat you, then your heart is forfeit to the Darkness." Mark said as Terra scowled angrily. He glanced at Rosa who was peering out through the bars with a worried expression.

"Alright, you're ON!" Terra shouted as his helmet appeared over his head and dropped into his battle stance. (Battle Music Cue: Rage Awakened)

"Excellent." Mark said, dropping into his stance. Mark waited for Terra to make his first move but was surprised when he saw Terra quickly heft his Keyblade onto his shoulder, the Keyblade growing to massive size. It was the Ultima Cannon Shoot Lock.

"Take this!" Terra shouted before he fired off the Shoot Lock. The force of the blast would have destroyed Mark who quickly leapt clear and started charging at Terra. Terra brought his Keyblade around in time to block Mark's first strike. Mark and Terra began exchanging blows with their blades, Mark however keeping Terra on the defensive until Terra shoved the Keyblade Rebel away, and proceeded to cast Firaga at him. Mark easily batted the Firaga away, sending it towards Terra who quickly blocked it.

"Such anger. What is the source of this anger? What have I done to warrant such a response?" Mark asked as Terra glared daggers at him. In his mind he saw Master Eraqus holding Mark of Mastery's Keyblade form.

"You disgrace my Master's memory! He wouldn't allow you to get away with this! He wouldn't allow his own Keyblade to rebel! That is why I'm angry!" Terra yelled as an aura of darkness started rising from around him. Mark smiled sinisterly.

"Is that so." He said before he suddenly charged towards Terra, sword raised. Terra quickly slid to the side to allow Mark to pass by but instead the Rebel turned and attacked Terra, their blades pushing against each other. Terra bared his teeth though it went unnoticed due to the helmet.

"Terra, calm yourself."

Terra froze. He recognized the voice.

"Master Eraqus?" Terra asked in shock. He realized he was standing in the Station of Awakening but it was himself on the window beneath his feet.

"Terra, have you forgotten what you have learned already?" Eraqus asked as he appeared before Terra with a white glow around him.

"Master!" Terra exclaimed in awe.

"Accept the Darkness within you. Giving in to the rage and anger within you will only cause you to fall into the Darkness. Don't let it consume you." Eraqus said as Terra put a hand on his heart.

"But…what if I can't do it on my own?" Terra asked as Eraqus smiled and chuckled.

"Then let me help you. Let my heart become your light and allow you to better accept the Darkness within you." Eraqus said as he extended his hand towards Terra. Terra paused but then extended his hand, a white glow appearing around him as he finally grasped a hold of Eraqus's hand.

"Now, let's see what we can do about my old Keyblade." Eraqus said with a warm smile. In an instant, Terra was back in reality, pushing against Mark's sword with his Keyblade. With a single mighty swing, Terra shoved the Rebel back across the floor. The dark aura around Terra disappeared, causing Mark to give him a curious look.

"What is this newfound strength within you?" Mark asked as Terra dropped down slightly, his Keyblade held out to his left as if preparing for a powerful strike as pink flower-like petals of energy appeared around him.

"The strength of my heart and the acceptance of the Darkness within me." Terra replied before he suddenly disappeared, causing a bright, horizontal flash of light to appear across Mark's stomach. Mark gasped in pain before dropping to his knees in agony. Terra was standing behind him, his Keyblade held out to his right as if having just dealt a powerful blow. (End Battle Music)

"What…was that?" Mark grunted.

"Zantetsuken, a move my Master once taught me. I had forgotten it, but my Master reminded me just now." Terra said, his helmet disappearing, as Mark glared at him from over his shoulder.

"Your…master? Ah, so his heart dwells within you. Now I see what else lurked within your heart. The heart of my heart-bound. Interesting." Mark said as he stood up and sheathed his sword.

"You are strong, Heart-bound. You have won our duel…" Mark said as Terra turned towards him, "…but you have not won the war."

With that, Mark disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness. Terra stood staring at the spot where Mark once stood before hearing a startled yelp. He turned and saw Rosa had been freed from her cage.

"Are you alright?" Terra asked as he ran towards her. Rosa nodded silently as she climbed to her feet.

"I am, thank you. You fought valiantly out there." Rosa said as Terra turned and noticed the arena was fading out around them.

"I fought him because he defiled the memory of my master, and because an innocent bystander was in danger." Terra said before suddenly being kissed on the cheek by Rosa.

"Uh…" Terra stuttered as he turned towards the woman. The arena lobby had faded back in by now.

"That was for saving me." Rosa said as she walked towards the computer, leaving Terra behind with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Riku found himself within a strange place. It was an area surrounded by tall cylinder shaped mesas along with multiple rock formations under a star lit sky. In the distance he could see what appeared to be the wreckage of some sort of whale like object. He looked around and spotted Cecil approaching him.

"Riku!" Cecil shouted.

"Cecil! Where are we?" Riku asked as they came together.

"A place called the Lunar Subterrane. I've been here before. But how did we-…" Cecil said, his sentence dropping off.

"It's the nature of the Arena. It creates locations from our memories for us to do battle." Riku explained.

"I see. So then who are we to fight?" Cecil asked. A flash of light appeared overhead. They looked up and then quickly leapt out of the way mere seconds before Kain came crashing down on them from overhead.

"Kain!" Cecil shouted at the Dragoon.

"You cannot escape your past sins, Cecil, no matter how far or how fast you run away." Kain said as he glared at Cecil. Cecil held his lance ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"He doesn't need to run anymore." Riku said, standing in his battle stance next to Cecil with his Keyblade summoned.

"Stay out of this, boy. You have no stake in the matter." Kain said to him, not taking his gaze off of Cecil.

"That's where you're wrong. Cecil doesn't need to run from you or the Darkness of his past." Riku said, earning a curious, although unseen look due to his helmet, from Cecil.

"What do you mean, Riku? What do you know of the Darkness?" Cecil asked as Riku turned towards him.

"You try to resist the Darkness within you, Cecil. Your past is full of Darkness and the only answer you know to counter it is to run from it. Running from your Darkness only strengthens it. In order to counter it, you must confront it head on." Riku explained.

"I must…confront it?" Cecil asked curiously.

"I knew what you were planning on doing the second you dropped into your stance, Cecil. You were going to let Kain make the first move, defend, counter, then flee. The problem is, in coming here to Mirage Arena, you've walked right into Kain's trap." Riku explained.

"What?" Cecil asked in surprise.

"Mirage Arena won't let you leave until it senses that the fight is over. Attempting to flee is useless. Here you must fight. Now is as good as any to confront the Darkness within you. Believe me when I say that I've been down a similar road. I've been possessed by the Darkness once and I've learned what to do about it. You must accept the Darkness and use it instead of letting it use you. We all accept the Darkness of our hearts in different ways. I believe yours will be to confront your past, head on." Riku said before suddenly turning and blocking a thrown spear from Kain. (Battle Music Cue: "The Dreadful Fight" – Final Fantasy IV or Dissidia OST)

"That's enough out of you, boy!" Kain growled as the spear continued pushing itself against Riku's Keyblade.

"Cecil! Don't give into the Darkness! Accept its existence as a part of you!" Riku shouted as the spear kept pushing him backwards towards one of the large rock formations.

"There is no accepting the Darkness within him! He will forever be consumed by the fear of his past! There is no use fighting it! Embrace it Cecil, let the Darkness within you run free!" Kain ordered as Cecil stood ponderingly.

"He's wrong! The Darkness will consume your heart if you embrace it! Don't lose your heart! Think of Rosa! She's been there to surround you with light! She is your light, Cecil!" Riku shouted as his back touched the wall and another spear appeared the air.

"I've had enough of you and your prattling, BRAT!" Kain shouted as he grabbed the second spear and disappeared in a flash of light. He appeared several feet over Riku's head, ready to deliver a fierce blow to the defenseless Keyblade wielder. He was about to drop down when suddenly a black and purple bolt of energy struck him and knocked him out of the sky. The spear disappeared from in front of Riku, allowing the youth to turn and see Cecil with his lance in hand, ready for a direct attack.

"Riku's right, Kain. I've been running from my dark past for too long! It's time I confronted it like I should have done long ago!" Cecil shouted as Kain climbed up onto his feet. A strange aura of white magic started to rise up from around Cecil, the black armor starting to dissolve away, revealing a decorative white suit of armor beneath it. Cecil's helmet then started to crack with beams of light shooting out from between the cracks.

"What? NO!" Kain shouted as he leapt towards Cecil just as the helmet shattered, revealing Cecil's face. A head full of tangled and curled purple hair with matching colored lips. Cecil quickly blocked with a broadsword as Kain's eyes widened.

"It's over, Kain!" Cecil replied before he spun and launched Kain into the air.

"FOOL! Let the darkness within you be your guide! Without it, you are NOTHING!" Kain shouted as Cecil suddenly reappeared over him, glowing with light.

"Wrong! I know my course! This will seal it!" Cecil shouted as he dealt a painful blow to Kain, the glow around him intensifying.

"The moon leads me!" Cecil shouted as he turned and hurled a sword made of darkness at Kain, the sword running the Dragoon through.

"Light and Darkness cast aloft!" He shouted as four orbs of darkness surrounded him and crashed into Kain as he dealt another painful blow to him. He then turned back towards Kain, the light around him even brighter. He then leapt towards Kain delivering two final blows that left a cross of glowing blue light with Kain in the center.

"**AUGH!" **Kain shouted in anger as Cecil landed next to Riku who stood with his arms crossed. (End Battle Music)

"This isn't over, Cecil! We'll meet again! You'll never be rid of the Darkness within you!" Kain shouted as he disappeared within a Corridor of Darkness.

"Hey! Get back here!" Cecil shouted as he attempted to follow but Riku put his hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go. He's the one on the run from you now." Riku said as the arena started fading out around them. Cecil finally lowered his sword and sheathed it on his belt behind him. He looked at his new armor with silent awe.

"So this…this is what happens when I accept the Darkness within me?" Cecil asked.

"Accepting the Darkness within you grants you access to the light within your heart. Attempting to reject or force out the Darkness will only seal you off from the light. There's no way to completely remove all the Darkness from your heart, but you can weaken it by simply acknowledging the Darkness inside of you." Riku explained as the arena lobby appeared around them. Rosa and Terra took notice of their arrival almost instantly.

"Riku, Cecil, glad to see you guys made it back alright." Terra said as he and Rosa approached.

"Cecil! You've conquered the Darkness inside you!" Rosa exclaimed delightedly.

"No, I've only accepted it, Rosa. But I am on the road to recovering. We should probably head somewhere where there is plenty of light to be found so that I can learn more." Cecil said as Terra and Riku exchanged glances.

"You should probably head to Radiant Garden. There are plenty of people there who can help you to accept the Darkness inside of you. Tell them that you were sent by Riku and Terra. They know us there." Riku explained as Terra nodded in agreement.

"Thank you both for your help. Were it not for you, I would not have learned to accept my Darkness." Cecil said as Rosa took him by the arm.

"And thank you for being there for him. We have a long road ahead of us, but thanks to you we can finally set out on the road to recovery." Rosa said.

"Good luck out there you two. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon." Riku said as Terra nodded in agreement.

"We shall not forget either of you. Farewell." Cecil said as he and Rosa turned and walked into the teleporter, disappearing in a flash of light.

"So…what do we do now?" Terra asked.

"I dunno. You got any ideas?" Riku asked.

"We should probably wait for Aqua and Kairi to D-Link in with whatever it is they find, so we've got time to spare…wanna take on some dummy heartless until then?" Terra asked as Riku shrugged with a smirk.

"The one with the most kills wins?" Riku asked as Terra grinned.

"You're on!" Terra replied before they both disappeared into the arena once more.

* * *

**End Chapter 23.**


	24. All Hail King Wayward

Light wandered into the courtyard of the castle. He was heading nowhere in particular when he suddenly heard someone shouting. He turned and saw Wind standing atop a nearby tower, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"(Sigh) There he goes again, spouting his egotistical nonsense." Rain groaned as she and Des approached.

"Why does he do that?" Light asked curiously.

"I think his favored element, wind, essentially sums up his personality. He's a windbag." Rain said, adjusting her glasses.

"Rain, be nice. Wind might be very headstrong, but his heart is in the right place. He's actually quite fun to be around." Des said as Rain glanced away from her friend.

"That's one opinion." Rain mumbled.

"I don't believe that I have had the opportunity to get to speak with his highness yet." Light said, earning a glare from Rain.

"Please tell me that was sarcasm when you referred to him as his highness." Rain said.

"Oh it was no sarcasm, Rain. He was merely acknowledging the greatness that is me." Wind said as he hovered down to the ground, his shuriken spinning beneath his feet.

"Wind, everything is not about you! You're not going to be a king someday or any day!" Rain argued.

"Your admiration of me has put you in a state of denial. I understand. You don't need to worry about my forgiveness, Rain." Wind said with his usual smile. Rain lowered her glasses, allowing the cat-like slits to form. Des took notice and quickly tried to push said glasses up.

"Rain, dear, there's no reason to get violent!" Des said as she struggled to keep Rain from attempting to murder her fellow Keyblade Rebel.

"Wind, would you permit me to ask, why do you assume that you will become a King?" Light asked.

"Why the answer's obvious, Light. I'm so great that not becoming a King would be dumb of me! I'm destined to be King, I have been since I gained this form." Wind explained proudly.

"But a King's supposed to have loyal supporters. A king is nothing without the loyalty of the people he rules over." Rain said as Wind smiled.

"And I have it, right Des?" Wind asked as Des smiled and nodded.

"Uh-huh." Des replied, earning a glare from Rain.

"Don't encourage him, Des!" Rain said in exasperation, not noticing as Dawn, Keep, and Ion approached.

"It's useless, Rain. No matter how much one tries to discourage him, he's just going to remain confident in his destiny. An admirable trait despite his ego." Dawn said.

"I just hope the day never comes that he actually becomes, King." Ion muttered as Keep giggled.

"Yay Wind!" Keep declared.

"Please, as long as I'm around, he's not becoming King." Rain said. She almost instantly regretted saying it as Wind grinned and put a hand on her shoulder. (Music Cue: I Just Can't Wait to be King – Lion King)

"Rain, you just don't quite understand how my destiny's going to play out. You know how it's gonna turn out because…well I'll just tell ya…" Wind said before he started singing…

_"I'm gonna be a mighty king_  
_so enemies beware!"_

Then Rain scoffed and replied as she plucked a hair from Wind's head…

_"Well, I've never seen a king of keys_  
_with quite so spiky hair."_

Wind ignored her and sang…

_"I'm gonna be the main event_  
_like no king was before._  
_I'm brushing up on looking down._  
_I'm working on my ROAR!"_

Rain scoffed again and replied as Wind walked towards Des…

_"Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing."_

Then Wind sang…

_"Oh, I just can't WAIT to be king!"_

"You've rather a long way to go, Wind so if you think..." Rain said before getting interrupted as Wind sang…

_"No one saying do this…"_

"Now when I said that…" Rain said but was interrupted by Des who sang…

_"No one saying be there…"_

"What I meant was…" Rain said but was interrupted again by Wind…

_"No one saying stop that…"_

"Look you don't realize…" Rain was again interrupted by Des who sang…

_"No one saying see here!"_

"Now see HERE!" Rain shouted as Wind flew off on his shuriken and the others gave chase after him as he sang…

_"Free to run around all day!"_

"Well that's definitely out." Rain said as they chased after him as he sang…

_"Free to do it all my way!"_

Finally Wind was grounded due to a Blizzaga spell from Rain who propped a foot on his shuriken as she sang sternly…

_"I think it's time that you and I,_  
_arranged a heart to heart."_

Wind scoffed and pinched her cheek with his hand as he sang…

_"Kings don't need advice_  
_from little nerd girls for a start."_

Rain was seething mad as Wind broke free while she sang…

_"If this is where the worlds are headed,_  
_count me out!_  
_Out of service, out of the universe!_  
_I wouldn't hang about!_  
_This child is getting wildly out of wing!"_

Then Wind sang again…

_"Oh I just can't WAIT to be king!"_

Wind then started flying around overhead, the others watching him as he flew before he flew to their left and sang…

_"Everybody look left!"_

Everyone complied as he flew to their right and sang…

_"Everybody look right!"_

They complied again as he landed in the center before them and sang…

_"Everywhere you look I'm,_  
_standing in the spotlight!"_

"NOT! YET!" Rain shouted angrily but was ignored as Des, Light, Keep, and even Dawn sang…

_"Let every Keyblade go for broke and sing._  
_Let's hear it on the land and on the wing._  
_It's gonna be King Wayward's finest fling!"_

Then they all sang in unison…

_"Oh I just can't wait to be king!_  
_Oh I just can't wait to be king!_  
_Oh I just can't wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-it ... to be king!"_

(End Music)

As soon as Wind stopped singing, he was suddenly encased within a block of ice. They all turned to see Rain standing nearby with a cold aura of white mist around her along with blades made of ice protruding from the ends of her sleeves.

"That will keep him silent for a while." She grumbled as Des chuckled.

"Well, I suppose I should take him somewhere to warm up." Des said as she effortlessly picked up the frozen Wind and carried him off to her greenhouse.

"At least he's quiet for now." Ion said.

"Peace at last." Dawn chuckled wryly. They then noticed Light's sudden silence.

"Something wrong, shiny?" Keep asked, catching Light's attention.

"Nothing. I was just remembering something Des and I were talking about before the mission to the World that Never Was." Light said.

"Something good, bad, otherwise?" Rain asked curiously.

"Bad. She was mentioning that a world had fallen into Darkness recently. She said that one of the Heart-Bound accused us of causing the world to fall. She never mentioned the name of that world. She was about to but we were interrupted." Light said as Rain, Dawn, and Ion looked at each other.

"You, honestly don't know which world it was?" Rain asked as Light shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Light said.

"The world that fell, was the same world you and Dark were assigned to investigate. The Destiny Islands." Rain replied. Light's eyes widened and mouth opened in shock.

"What? Is this true?" Light asked as the other three nodded.

"Yes. We have investigated and the world has indeed fallen into Darkness." Dawn replied as Light looked stunned.

"But…but we were there. Dark said that leaving the World's Keyhole open wouldn't do anything! We even left at the same time!" Light replied in shock.

"Did you both leave at the same time? Was Dark right there with you when you left? Did he come out first or second?" Ion asked as Light thought for a moment then looked up in silent horror.

"No, he was a few seconds behind me." Light replied.

"It makes no sense. Our missions were to copy the knowledge from the Hearts of the Worlds not take the hearts themselves. Doing so would defeat the whole purpose of those missions." Rain said as Dawn nodded.

"I agree. So why would Dark do that? What could possibly be gained by causing the World to fall into Darkness?" Dawn asked.

"All it served to do was to mobilize the Heart-Bound and put them onto our trail." Ion added.

"Perhaps he's a traitor." Dawn suggested.

"But he's among the most loyal to the Master, and the Master wouldn't have given him that assignment…would they?" Rain asked.

"Perhaps we should go to the Master and ask them in person." Light suggested as he started walking towards the main hall.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What if the Master is the one behind all of this? What could their goal be in all this?" Rain asked as Light paused and turned towards them.

"We know nothing about the Master, do we not?" Light asked, earning silent contemplative looks from the other four.

"He's…he's actually got a point." Ion said.

"Then perhaps we should follow Light's lead. You're still new here so the Master may be willing to satisfy your curiosity." Rain suggested as the others nodded. Keep had been keeping to herself silently.

"Alright then. I shall return shortly." Light said as he walked into the main hall. As he did, the doors behind him shut and he noticed that Dark was standing before the shadowed section of the main hall where he spoke with the Master.

"-And their instructions are apparently to capture one of us so that their comrades can study us to try and ascertain our true nature." Dark finished explaining.

"**Where are they now?"** the Master asked, their two glowing yellow eyes piercing the darkness once more.

"Sora and his companion, Ventus, travel to Radiant Garden at this very minute to begin their hunt for one of us." Dark replied. The Master's eyes then noticed Light's arrival.

"**Well then…let us end their search as it begins, only let ****us**** be the ones hunting ****them****."** The Master said as Light approached and stood next to his brother.

"Master, forgive my intrusion but I have questions that I need answering." Light said.

"**In due time, Light, but for now we have your next assignment for you."** The Master said, earning a surprised look from Light.

"Already?" he asked curiously.

"**Yes. This is a relatively simple mission. Simple, provided that you bring your brother Dark along with you to assist." **The Master said as Light sighed, mentally putting his questions off to the side.

"What is this mission, Master?" Light asked as the Master's eyes moved in closer towards him.

"**Your mission is…**

"…**To Capture the Heart-Bound, Sora."**

* * *

**End Chapter 24.**

The song above was an altered version of "I just can't wait to be king" from Disney's Lion King.


	25. Aqua's Reflection & The Iron Imprisoner

Aqua and Kairi had arrived mere seconds ago in the Land of Departure and were walking through the main hall of the castle towards the thrones.

"So where do you suppose we're supposed to find Master Xehanort's Report?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"I'm not sure. My first guess would be the library." Aqua said. Kairi's eyes widened slightly.

"There's a library here?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah. Come on, I'll show you." Aqua said as she led Kairi towards one of the corridors nearby. As soon as they left, a Corridor of Darkness opened up, and Pete emerged.

"Hmm, not very impressive. I bet those kiddos Keyblade Wielders aren't expecting a visit from the mighty Pete!" Pete said as he pulled out a small swirling blue sphere with dusty red chains crisscrossing around it in an X along with a pair of angry red Unversed like eyes on it. Pete grinned and hurried off into the depths of the castle.

**…**

"Wow!" Kairi gasped in awe of the three story tall library chamber. The floor pattern was square shaped with a half-cylinder like bulge with books on countless rows of shelves between two tall windows opposite the only entrance to the library. All the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with shelves upon shelves, each chalk full of books. There were spiral staircases in all four corners of the room that reached to two catwalks on different floors that ran the whole length of the room and crossed over in an X at the corners. On the ground floor, were several tables, chairs, and a couple couches scattered around somewhat aimlessly.

"Yeah, I know. I figured this place might be as good as any to check first for any sign of something from Xehanort." Aqua said as she walked towards a podium in the dead center of the room that had a single book on it, already open.

"What's this?" Kairi asked curiously.

"This is the library's reference system. Since the library is so massive and you could get yourself killed if you tried getting a book from up on those shelves, this allows us to summon a book in particular right to this podium without having to retrieve it on our own. It also puts books back too when you're done with them." Aqua explained as she flipped through the book on the podium until she reached the section with the letter X and started running her hand through the book listings.

"So…what can I do to help?" Kairi asked. Aqua paused before turning to the young Princess of Heart.

"Well…to be honest, there's nothing you can do to help. See most of the books that have anything that Xehanort might have been interested it, are restricted to Masters and lock themselves up; much like Master Eraqus's book does if held by an Apprentice. So there's really nothing you can do at the moment. I guess you could play a game or two on the Command Board." Aqua suggested as Kairi shrugged.

"I understand. Maybe…huh?" Kairi said as she turned towards the door with a curious look.

"Something wrong?" Aqua asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. I just sensed something weird. Like there's someone else here." Kairi said as Aqua summoned her Keyblade.

"Hmm…now that you mention it, I have that same feeling. Let's split up. You take the dormitories and I'll take the training areas." Aqua said as they started walking out of the library. After a few minutes of searching they met up in Master Eraqus's Memorial Garden.

"Find anything?" Kairi asked but Aqua shook her head.

"No. I'm beginning to think that perhaps we were simply imagining things." Aqua said as Kairi shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe it's the Keyblades again. Perhaps they're here and are hiding from us." Kairi said but Aqua shook her head.

"No, I don't feel that familiar feeling that the Keyblades made Riku or I feel earlier. I don't think it's them. I think it's something else. We'll find whoever it is eventually. For now, let's focus on…Kairi?" Aqua asked as she turned and noticed Kairi looking down at the lucky charm that Sora had made for her three months ago, stroking it with her thumb.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about Sora. I know he's okay, but that doesn't mean I don't worry." Kairi replied as Aqua smiled.

"I envy you, Kairi. You and Sora have something and I'm glad to know you can keep it going regardless of your status as Master and Apprentice." Aqua said as Kairi smiled and pocketed the charm.

"Thanks Master. Since we're on the subject, how are things between you and Ven?" Kairi asked as Aqua paused and turned away from her.

"Things are…okay." Aqua said but Kairi wasn't convinced.

"What's wrong?" Kairi asked as she walked around to face Aqua.

"Well. I just feel like maybe…maybe Ven and I aren't meant to be together. Like since I've become his Master that we've been drifting further and further apart." Aqua said as she turned towards the statue of Master Eraqus. (Music Cue: Reflection – Mulan.)

"Things were so much simpler when Master Eraqus was still around. We didn't have to worry about such silliness. Now I can't even get him trained so that we can be together! I feel like such a failure." Aqua said as Kairi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't say that, Aqua! You're not a failure!" Kairi said in an effort to encourage the Keyblade Master but she only brushed off her hand.

"Yeah…right." Aqua replied before she sang…

_"Look at me_  
_I will never pass as the perfect girl…"_

She sang as she looked up at the statue of Master Eraqus…

_"…or the perfect master._  
_Can it be,_  
_I'm not meant to play this part?"_

Then she looked down at her lucky charm as she sang…

_"Now I see,_  
_that if I were truly,_  
_to be myself,_  
_I would break my dear Ven's heart."_

She then started walking towards the gazebo, looking down at her reflection in the Koi pond, Kairi close behind, as she sang…

_"Who is that girl I see,_  
_staring straight,_  
_back at me?_  
_Why is my reflection someone,_  
_I don't know?"_

She then entered into the gazebo where a picture of Eraqus smiling and hugging Terra, Aqua, and Ven as they all grinned at the camera was nailed into a post. Aqua and Ven were holding hands in the photo. Aqua looked at it as she sang…

_"Somehow I cannot hide,_  
_who I am,_  
_though I've tried._  
_When will my reflection show,_  
_who I am inside?"_

Aqua then dropped to her knees and summoned her Keyblade, Mark of Mastery, looking down at it and glancing at her and Ven holding hands in the photo as she sang…

_"When will my reflection show,_  
_who I am inside?"_

(End Music)

Kairi stood behind her, before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Can…can I ask you something? Do you even know if Ven feels the same way?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know anymore." Aqua replied softly.

"Then why give up if there's still the chance of him loving you?" Kairi asked. Aqua turned and gave her a curious look.

"Huh?"

"Hey, for a long time, I loved Sora while I was completely clueless as to whether or not he loved me back. Then three months ago, he told me so. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Sora loves me and I love him. You just need to have a little faith, that's all. Remind Ven how you feel and his reaction will be your answer." Kairi said as Aqua sighed.

"I just don't know Kairi." Aqua said.

"Well I'm not giving up on the two of you. You and Ven are as meant to be as Sora and me and I'm going to make sure that that spark of romance stays alive between you two." Kairi said as Aqua chuckled.

"You really are optimistic aren't you?" Aqua asked with a smile.

"It goes with the territory of being a Princess of Heart." Kairi said with a shrug.

"I can see that." Aqua chuckled.

"So can I!" A familiar voice said, causing their eyes to widen and turn towards the source of the voice.

"What the-? PETE! What are you doing here!" Kairi exclaimed but Aqua snarled and leapt to her feet, her Keyblade in hand.

"Get out of this world, Pete! NOW!" Aqua ordered angrily.

"What'cha gonna do about it Miss High-and-mighty Keyblade Master? I've got an ace up my sleeve that you're just gonna love!" Pete laughed before he turned and ran for the passageway to the arena.

"Get back here!" Aqua yelled as she and Kairi gave chase. They followed him out into the arena where he stood holding a small sphere.

"Ha-ha! Looks like I need to make like a banana and split! And to make sure I get a clean getaway-…" Pete shouted as he hurled the sphere into the air, causing it to burst open in a cloud of dark blue, purple, and black energy. When the energy faded, it revealed a foe that was very familiar to Aqua.

"No! It can't be!" Aqua exclaimed as she summoned her armor and dropped into her battle stance.

"Ta-da! The Iron Imprisoner! One of the most powerful Unversed alive! Hope you kids have fun playing with him!" Pete cackled before he disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness. Aqua glared at the massive Unversed as it struggled to try and overcome the chains around its arms and the gibbet around its feet.

"Kairi, armor up! This isn't going to be easy!" Aqua ordered and Kairi quickly complied.

"_What is that thing Master?"_ Kairi asked via D-Link.

"_That's an Iron Imprisoner Unversed. Terra, Ven, and I each encountered one when we paid a visit to Mirage Arena eleven years ago. This is only the first stage of its evolution so it's at its weakest now more than ever! Follow my lead!" _Aqua ordered as she aimed her Keyblade at the Iron Imprisoner I, targeting it with her Rainbow Shower Shoot Lock. Kairi aimed her Keyblade at it as well but before she could move, the Iron Imprisoner started spinning around like a top, creating swirls of flames around it as it flew towards them. Aqua managed to fire off her shoot lock just before it reached Kairi, causing it to fly backwards but not fall over. Kairi quickly ran in and fired a Holy spell right at its head, causing it to completely fall over, growling in pain.

"That's it Kairi! Keep it up!" Aqua shouted as she ran in and fired a Firaga at the creature that seemed to have a larger explosion than usual.

"What was that?" Kairi asked as Aqua landed next to her.

"Fission Firaga! A more powerful Firaga spell!" Aqua replied as she ran towards the Iron Imprisoner again but just as she did, she found herself entrapped within a grey metal cage.

"Augh! KAIRI!" She shouted as she started swinging her Keyblade around in an effort to get free. Kairi started to run towards her but she was quickly knocked away by the Iron Imprisoner as it swung the gibbet around. Kairi managed to right herself in midair and land on her feet. Aqua however was still hacking away at the cage but just as she did, the Iron Imprisoner started firing beams of light from the bottom of the gibbet that homed in on Aqua who had little time to react.

"AQUA!" Kairi exclaimed in shock and horror as Aqua was knocked to the ground by the blast from the beam. Aqua landed on her feet and was alright due to her armor which returned to her shoulder guard. Before she could react, she was hit by the gibbet and knocked into the wall of the practice arena.

"AQUA! NO!" Kairi exclaimed as she saw Aqua fall to the ground, unconscious. She then saw the Iron Imprisoner turn its attention towards her. It then disappeared into the ground. Kairi quickly started looking around as she frantically tried to find the missing Unversed. She suddenly felt the ground beneath her starting to shake and she quickly dodge rolled forward just in time as the Iron Imprisoner burst up from the ground. She quickly turned and fired a Holy spell at it, causing it to recoil in pain. She used this opportunity to use her Judgment Wave Shoot Lock. She channeled her energy into her Keyblade, causing a sudden burst of clean and crisp white energy to erupt from around her, stunning and severely injuring the Iron Imprisoner. She quickly took this opportunity to run for Aqua who still lay unconscious.

"Master! Are you alright? Come on, you've got to wake up!" Kairi exclaimed as she tried to shake the Keyblade Master awake but to no avail. She then remembered the Curaga spell and started channeling as much of that spell's power into her Keyblade along with as much light as she could just as the Iron Imprisoner shook off its confusion and glared straight at her.

"No! Not yet!" Kairi exclaimed before she felt the power in her Keyblade release itself, causing a blossoming flower of energy to appear over the tip of the blade.

"Oh no." She said in horror as she turned to look at Aqua but didn't see her moving. She was breathing but not moving. She then felt what she believed to be a drop of rain. She looked up and saw that a number of white clouds had gathered overhead and were inexplicably raining glowing green drops of rain. Kairi gasped in awe of the sight and in her heart, she knew what it was. She had discovered a second Shoot Lock. A healing and restorative Shoot Lock called…Great Gospel. She felt a sudden rush of energy as her armor literally tingled with energy. The Iron Imprisoner had stopped in its tracks, grunting in pain as it tried to evade the rain to no effect. Apparently the rain was like acid to it. Kairi then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Aqua climbing up onto her feet, a determined expression on her face.

"Thanks Kairi…I needed that." Aqua said with a smile before turning back to the Iron Imprisoner and dropping into her battle stance.

"Let's show that big tin-can what we can do now!" Aqua shouted as she reactivated her armor and targeted the Iron Imprisoner with her most powerful Shoot Lock. Shiny Bloom. She started spinning around in a circle, firing bolts of light from the tip of her Keyblade as her spinning got more and more elaborate until finally she was spinning on one foot with her left foot immediately behind her head. The bolts of light managed to home in on the Iron Imprisoner, each bolt smacking into it until finally it vanished in a burst of dark flames. Aqua finished her spinning, not looking or acting the slightest bit dizzy. The Great Gospel rain had also stopped by this point.

"And stay out!" Aqua shouted to the vanished Unversed.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked as her armor vanished.

"Never better actually. Looks like you learned one of your Shoot Locks, huh?" Aqua asked as Kairi nodded.

"Yeah. I never knew that if I channeled as much light and healing magic as I could into my Keyblade, that it would do that. I thought at first, that the spell had misfired but I guess I was wrong." Kairi said with a smile and a shrug.

"Well it's a good thing you learned that when you did, otherwise our goose would have been cooked. I underestimated the Iron Imprisoner. Despite its being in its first form, I had forgotten its moves and how fast it could be. Don't worry though, I've remembered them now." Aqua said as Kairi smiled and nodded.

"That's good. But I wonder what Pete wanted here." Kairi said as Aqua pondered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. He might have been here, searching for the Keyhole. Or perhaps he was here searching for something else." Aqua said as Kairi looked up at her.

"Where is the Keyhole to this place anyway?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Come on, I'll show you." Aqua said as she led Kairi back inside the castle. She led her into the throne room and around to the back of the empty thrones.

"Right here. Right behind this throne is the Keyhole to this world." Aqua said as Kairi glanced at the back of the central throne where the gold outline of a Keyhole rested.

"Do you think we should seal it again, just in case?" Kairi asked as Aqua pondered for a moment, and nodded.

"I don't see how it could hurt." Aqua said as both she and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, aimed it at the keyhole and fired the sealing beams of energy. The sound of a mechanical lock was then heard, followed by a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, they saw the keyhole symbol was now outlined in both gold and a crisp and pure white gold.

"Well, I guess that's it. And still no sign of what Master Yen Sid sent us to find." Kairi said as they started walking towards the front of the throne room.

"Have a little faith, Kairi. We may still find it yet. You never know, it might just drop right into our hands." Aqua said with a chuckle, causing Kairi to laugh. They then stopped laughing when they noticed a sheet of paper with writing on it, flutter down to the ground between them.

"Kairi."

"Yeah?"

"Was that you?"

"Nope."

"Okay, then my spook-o-meter isn't peaking without reason."

* * *

**End Chapter 25.**

Has the Iron Imprisoner been defeated? What does the new Xehanort Report say? Will Sora and Ven manage to escape the Keyblade Rebel's trap? Find out in the chapters to come…


	26. The Final Report & The Genome

Aqua and Kairi were racing to Mirage Arena to meet up with Terra and Riku. Aqua's mind was spinning having read the final report. The two of them had tried contacting Terra and Riku, but they didn't respond. Ven and Sora didn't respond either which made her concerned. Soon they saw the outer shell of the arena, landing on the external platform. Kairi was in awe of the world as she looked around.

"Amazing!" she exclaimed as they both stepped onto the teleporter and found themselves within the arena lobby. Hers and Aqua's helmets immediately disappeared while their armor remained active.

"I know, isn't it? The Master used to say that this world was created specifically for the training of Keyblade Apprentices. It's a place that adjusts its difficulty to better suit the warrior and their needs. But we need to find Terra and Riku." Aqua said as she walked up to the computer. She pressed a few buttons and soon received a message on the terminal.

"Hmm, it seems that there are two separate arenas in use right now. Let's see. Ah, here they are." Aqua said, pressing a button and instantly a portal beneath the large central sphere opened, depositing an armored Terra and Riku. They both looked around, surprised by the sudden disappearance of their arena.

"What the-? What happened?" Riku asked confused.

"Sorry boys, but we really need to talk." Aqua said as she and Kairi approached. Terra and Riku's helmets disappeared.

"Oh, well why didn't you try and D-Link with us?" Riku asked curiously.

"Because the Arena prevents outside interference, including D-Links." Terra replied as Riku nodded understandingly.

"Oh, I get it, I'm there." Riku said as they emerged from the central pit of the lobby.

"So what did you find in the Land of Departure?" Terra asked.

"We found a report." Kairi said with a worried expression.

"Another Xehanort Report? Great! Let's see it!" Riku exclaimed but Aqua motioned to wait.

"There's a bit of a situation with this one, actually. This report isn't from Xehanort." Aqua said, earning surprised looks from Riku and Terra. Riku then looked at Terra curiously.

"Hey, don't look at me, I don't remember writing a report of my own." Terra said with a shrug.

"Then whose is it?" Riku asked.

"This report is from one of the Keyblades." Aqua said as Terra and Riku blinked in surprise.

"One of our Keyblades? Which one?" Terra asked.

"It doesn't say." Aqua replied.

"Then what does the report say?" Riku asked curiously. Aqua cleared her throat as she began to read aloud from the report…

"_It seems that the Master takes me for a fool. While I pity their arrogance, I cannot deny their thirst for power. I am a man destined to be Emperor, but I shall do so in the hands of my Heart-Bound. They assume my Heart-Bound is no more but I know the truth. My Heart-Bound still lives and I am his loyal servant. He gave me his commands and I follow them to the fullest extent of my being. My task is to bring about the Master's defeat, and the easiest way to go about doing that is by exterminating my fellow brethren. It is the secret of our birth that is the master's weakness. We are the Keyblade Incarnate! But the Master, oh they are a different story altogether. Their fate is bound, like the chains that bind them, is to their own subjects. Were one of us to…perish…the Master would feel it instantly. I know how and why this is the case, but dealing with the others is the easy part. The hard part, is dealing with the added complication of locating the one needle in the haystack that will prevent my Heart-Bound from inheriting his birthright. However, there is a new player in our midst. One who has the power to see into people's Hearts as well as determine what lies within them. If he could be…persuaded, to join me for the time being, then perhaps the problem might just solve itself. But if not…well, there's always plan B."_

Riku and Terra stood in silent confusion at the end of the Report.

"Who was that, and who were they talking about?" Riku asked curiously.

"I'm not sure who it was, but I'm pretty sure that this Master they're talking about must be the one leading the Keyblades." Aqua said as Terra pondered.

"And that whoever wrote that is obviously not one of the nicer Keyblades." Terra said as the other three nodded.

"Agreed. We need to find out what who or what this Keyblade is after." Aqua said.

"Then what's the plan, Aqua?" Riku asked.

"We haven't been able to reach Sora and Ven for a while. I'm getting kinda concerned." Kairi said as Riku and Terra exchanged glances.

"We'll contact Master Yen Sid and find out where they've gone." Riku said as Terra nodded.

"You two going to stick around here for a while?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, I promised Kairi we'd practice a little here before meeting up again." Aqua replied.

"Then let us know when you're done and we'll let you know what we've found." Terra said as he and Riku turned to leave, their helmets activating as they walked onto the teleporters and vanishing in a flash of light. Aqua and Kairi then turned towards the console.

"So what are we going to do first, Aqua?" Kairi asked.

"I figure some sparring is in order. A simple one-on-one match, perhaps." Aqua replied as she started putting information into the console. Just then they heard the teleporter activate. They turned and saw someone unfamiliar to them. It was a teenaged man with a distinct silver-lavender hair color that fell just beyond his shoulders, with a large, curved spike at the front. He had narrow eyes, with a light-bluish color. He was of medium height, light build, with a pale complexion. He had white sleeves, with a violet guard around his shoulders. He had a white robe on the back of his legs that extend to his ankles. The robe was held up by four straps that acted as a codpiece. His pants were a deeper purple than his shoulder guards and his shoes are black with golden buckles. He looked around curiously, disregarding Aqua and Kairi completely.

"Hmm, it doesn't seem that he's here." The man said as he walked towards the two women.

"May we help you?" Aqua asked as the man stopped and pondered.

"Perhaps you can. You see, I'm looking for my dear younger brother. He's always running off." The man said almost overdramatically with the back of his hand to his forehead in a woeful stance.

"I see. Can you think of a reason why he'd run away?" Aqua asked. She didn't notice as Kairi squirmed uncomfortably while looking at the man.

"Oh why yes there is. You see, he's a thief and he's stolen something very important. I believe he was last spotted heading in this direction. I'm certain that if you were to stick around, he will show up." The man said as Kairi crossed her arms over her chest with a suspicious expression.

"What makes you think he'll show up here?" Kairi asked. The man chuckled and turned away towards the teleporter.

"He's attracted to beautiful young women, like yourselves. Simply standing around looking pretty will naturally draw him out. I'll be continuing my search so if you find him, be sure to keep him…occupied." The man said as he stepped onto the teleporter and disappeared in a flash of light.

"What a nice man." Aqua said with a hint of sarcasm as she turned back to the console.

"Are you sure about that? Didn't you sense something strange about him? Like he was hiding something?" Kairi asked as Aqua paused and looked down at her.

"What do you sense Kairi?" Aqua asked curiously.

"I sensed something dark about him. I don't know what though." Kairi said nervously as Aqua glanced towards the teleporter curiously before turning back to the console.

"Then we'll keep our guard up." She said, earning a curious look from Kairi.

"Huh?"

"You're a Princess of Heart, Kairi. You're heart is more attuned to sensing the Darkness than mine or Sora's is. If you sense Darkness in someone, then trust your instincts about them. You're probably the best judge of character we've got." Aqua explained.

"Well that's pretty cool if I do say so myself." An unfamiliar voice said. They looked around and saw no one.

"Who said that?" Kairi asked.

"Wow, you both look pretty hot from this point of view." They heard the voice say again. Aqua then paused and looked up, spotting a figure sitting on the top of the central floating sphere in the arena lobby.

"Hey! Get down from there!" Aqua shouted. A second later the figure yelped as he slid off the sphere towards them. Aqua quickly moved and caught the figure which turned out to be a boy with shoulder-length blonde hair, greenish blue eyes and a prehensile monkey-like tail. He wore a teal vest over a white shirt with blue pants and several belts. He had large white and blue gloves and white boots. As soon as she caught him however, he gave her a suave grin and rested his hands behind his head.

"You're even cuter up close. So whaddya say, you wanna go out some time?" the boy asked. Aqua's reaction was a scowl. She followed up by dropping him on the floor.

"Ow! Okay maybe I deserved that." The boy said as he dusted himself off, earning a confused look from Kairi and a scowl from Aqua.

"Who are you?" Kairi asked. The boy quickly slid around and put an arm around her shoulder with the suave grin again.

"The name's Zidane. Zidane Tribal. And what might your name be? Would it happen to be, angel?" he asked, causing Kairi to blush a deep shade of red.

"K-K-Kairi." Kairi stammered as Zidane (Final Fantasy IX) slid around to put his other arm around her shoulder.

"Kairi. A name like the sea. It suits you." He said with a grin, causing Kairi to giggle. Zidane then turned towards Aqua and slid over to put his arm around her waist.

"And what's your name, sunshine?" Zidane asked before getting shoved away by Aqua.

"I am Master Aqua of the Keyblade. She is Kairi, Princess of Heart and Apprentice of the Keyblade." Aqua introduced as Zidane tapped his chin with an impressed expression.

"Well-well. A Master. Sounds like fun to me. You wanna be the Master that punishes her naughty new apprentice of love?" Zidane asked with a cheeky grin, his eyebrows jumping, and earning a stunned expression from Aqua.

**…**

Elsewhere, Rain was walking through the courtyard of the castle with Dawn when they heard a strange sound. They paused and looked around curiously.

"Did you hear that?" Dawn asked.

"Sounded like someone getting slapped to me." Rain said. They both looked at each other and shrugged before walking on.

**…**

Back in the Arena Lobby, Zidane was lying on the floor clear across the lobby with a red handprint across his left cheek that was letting off steam. He was twitching a little, showing he was alive. Aqua was glowing with a murderous aura that dissipated as soon as she caught a deep breath. Kairi was standing off to the side with an absolutely stunned expression on her face.

"Wow." She muttered in shock.

"Perverts. That's what I do to them." Aqua said in a terse whisper. In Twilight Town, Axel had this inexplicable wave of fear overtake him.

"Okay, that was painful." Zidane rasped as he stood up and turned towards them slowly. He staggered a little as he moved but that was understandable.

"Okay, I admit, my comment was uncalled for. But can you blame a guy for admiring art when he sees it?" Zidane asked as Aqua crossed her arms.

"There's a fine line between innocent observation and perverted gawking. Sufficed to say, you crossed that line." Aqua said as Zidane started approaching them.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. But considering that I've been on the run for a while, I couldn't help myself when I saw two beautiful ladies arrive here." Zidane said. Kairi was immediately brought out of her stunned stupor.

"Wait, you've been on the run?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Yeah. I'm what you could call a thief." Zidane said as Aqua and Kairi looked at each other.

"Really? What did you steal exactly?" Aqua asked with intrigue. Zidane looked around curiously before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper that had been folded three times, one side over the other, and sealed with a black round stamp.

"I got this from a Castle I was in lately. I had spotted these guys being recruited by some large fat cat guy and I followed them. One of them, a guy in a black cloak, spotted me and chased me out of the castle. He caught me and gave me this letter before telling me to run. Before I knew it, I was being chased by these strange blue creatures." Zidane explained.

"Blue creatures? Sounds like Unversed." Aqua said as she pondered.

"The big fat cat guy sounds familiar too. Was his name Pete?" Kairi asked as Zidane shrugged.

"Dunno, but the guys he was with, the guy in the black cloak, and a guy with a white robe and a sword, another guy with long silver hair, one black wing, and an extra long sword, and…one other guy, were with him and boy did they look mean." Zidane explained.

"Mmm, sounds like Pete and the Keyblades. But the guy with a black wing…oh no, Sephiroth. I was afraid of that." Aqua sighed.

"Woo that name gives me the willies just hearing it." Zidane shivered.

"Me too." Kairi muttered.

"But what does this letter say?" Aqua asked as she started to open the letter. But before she could however it crumbled into dust in her hands.

"What the-?" Aqua asked in shock.

"Well-well-well…look what I've caught in my web." They all turned and saw the man from earlier. Zidane quickly dropped into a battle stance, drawing two jagged and curved daggers and holding both in a reversed grip.

"Kuja!" Zidane exclaimed as the man chuckled.

"Did you really think you could escape me for long, brother? Why you've lost your touch." Kuja (Final Fantasy IX) said with a dark grin.

"If I had known this was a trap, I wouldn't have come here!" Zidane shot back.

"Wait a minute, you mean this was all a trap for Zidane?" Kairi asked as Aqua flashed back to what Kuja had told them earlier.

"_I'm certain that if you were to stick around, he will show up. He's attracted to beautiful young women, like yourselves. Simply standing around looking pretty will naturally draw him out. I'll be continuing my search so if you find him, be sure to keep him…occupied."_ Kuja had said to them.

"And we were the bait for the trap." Aqua said in realization.

"Drat. You knew my weakness Kuja! That was low using the two hotties here to keep me occupied." Zidane said as Kuja chuckled.

"Oh, I'm afraid that the trap wasn't set just for you, dear brother. The trap was for them as well." Kuja said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere with glowing red "happy" Unversed eyes and a mortarboard hat on top. He tossed the sphere over his shoulder, causing the sphere to glow a bright purple before it burst open, revealing a tall Unversed in what seemed to be a graduation cap and gown and carrying a large book. Aqua recognized it immediately.

"The Mimic Master Unversed!" She exclaimed as she and Kairi both dropped into their battle stances and summoned their Keyblades. Their helmets on their armor even appeared in place as well.

"What did they do to you, Kuja? Why trap them here too? I'm the one you want, not them!" Zidane shouted but Kuja chuckled.

"Why he doth ask? Why the answer is simple. I've been tasked by a few friends of mine, to deal with that girl there!" Kuja said as he pointed at Kairi.

"You're not stealing her Heart, Kuja! As a Master of the Keyblade, I won't allow it!" Aqua yelled. Kuja then surprised them all by laughing.

"Did I say anything about stealing her heart? Why such beauty and yet you are so ignorant. I'm not here to steal her heart. I do need to do something with her heart however. Nothing permanent, in fact, you could say that what I'm doing is helping her by taking a burden off her heart." Kuja explained.

"I don't care what it is, Kuja. You're not touching her heart!" Aqua shouted but Kuja laughed again and started floating in the air with eight glowing spheres of light circling around him.

"But I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter. My friend, the Mimic Master, will see to that." Kuja said with another laugh before a blinding flash of light enveloped the whole arena and when it faded, Aqua, Kairi, Zidane, Kuja, and the Mimic Master had vanished.

* * *

**End Chapter 26.**

I do not own Zidane & Kuja. They're both from Final Fantasy IX.


	27. Round 2 & Lightning

Riku and Terra were flying through the stars towards Twilight Town to meet up with Yen Sid, Riku attempting to D-Link as they flew.

"Sora? Ven? Can you hear me?" Riku asked but no response came.

"I'm starting to get worried. That's the fifth time you've tried calling them and they still haven't answered." Terra said as Riku nodded.

"Yeah. I'm starting to get worried too. Perhaps if we tried contacting Master Yen Sid, he'll know where they are." Riku said as Terra shrugged.

"It's worth a try." He said.

"Then I'll-…hey, what's that?" Riku asked as they spotted a shooting star bounce erratically across in front of them.

"It's heading towards the Land of Departure." Riku said before Terra blew past him at full speed. Riku quickly launched after him as fast as his Keyblade Rider could carry him.

"Terra! What is it! What's the matter?" Riku asked.

"That no shooting star! It's Ven!" Terra replied as they gave chase to the oddly moving star.

**…**

They arrived in the Land of Departure a few minutes later, Ven's star having vanished into the World Barrier first. They landed in the courtyard outside the Castle.

"Where do you suppose he landed?" Riku asked.

"Dunno. He's got to be around here somewhere though. We should stick together." Terra said as Riku nodded.

"You read my mind." Riku said as they started walking into the castle. They climbed the set of stairs to their right once inside the throne room and once they reached the top, Terra spotted something sitting in the central and right thrones. In the throne to the right was an unconscious Ven and in the center was a cloaked and hooded figure.

"Ven!" Terra exclaimed as he and Riku hurried towards him but slid to a halt with their Keyblades summoned as they noticed the hooded figure turn its head towards them.

"I was wondering when you two would show up." The hooded figure said as it stood up.

"Who are you and what have you done to Ven?" Terra asked angrily.

"Such anger. Why I remember it well. I believe you were my more recent Heart-Bound if I'm not mistaken." The figure said, confusing Terra.

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked angrily. The figure reached for his hood and pulled it back, revealing the face of a young man that looked strikingly similar to Terra but with stark white hair, dark skin, and gold eyes.

"Terra?" Riku asked confused but Terra was stunned.

"You recognize the face, don't you? You recognize it as that of a young Master Xehanort, correct? Well that was a deliberate move on my part. You see, unlike most of my fellow Keyblades, I idolize my former Heart-Bound. We had similar goals, desires, dreams. Then you and your friends come along and destroy him. Obliterated his heart of darkness with the light of Kingdom Hearts itself. However, that is no longer the case." The man explained.

"You were Xehanort's Keyblade?" Riku asked as the man grinned.

"As a Keyblade I was known as Darkness Seeker. But to my fellows, I am known simply as Seeker." The Man said as he crossed his arms. (See A/N at the end of the chapter).

"So then, what did you do to Ven?" Terra asked angrily. Seeker glanced over at Ven with a careless expression and shrugged.

"I haven't touched a single hair on his head. He arrived this way actually. You'll have to ask him what happened instead. Well…actually I know what happened myself, actually. Everything is going according to plan." Seeker said as he started walking away towards the stairs on the opposite side of the throne room.

"Plan? What plan?" Terra asked.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough. Needless to say, it's going to shake the foundations of the worlds pretty soon." Seeker said before quickly turning and catching a Dark Firaga in his bare hand.

"Ooh I wouldn't have done that if I were you. Now normally I'd love to fight you myself, but I've got work that needs doing and I can't very easily have the two of you bogging me down right now. So here's a friend of yours, Master Terra, to keep you both company." Seeker said with a grin before absorbing the Dark Firaga and snapping his fingers. A monstrous roar was heard followed by the sudden shaking of the ground beneath them. Suddenly, out from underneath the ground in the center of the throne room, burst forth the Iron Imprisoner but now its arms had been unchained and it was wielding its hammer. Its legs were still trapped in the black gibbet however. (A/N: Iron Imprisoner II)

"Farewell Heart-Bound…and see you soon." Seeker laughed as he pulled his hood back up over his head and disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness.

"What is that thing?" Riku asked as he and Terra both summoned their armor and dropped into their battle stances.

"The Iron Imprisoner! A powerful Unversed but this one's in its second stage of evolution!" Terra replied as the Iron Imprisoner roared, hefting its hammer over its head.

"Watch out!" Riku shouted as they both dove clear just as the Iron Imprisoner took a mean swing at them with its hammer.

"Riku! Follow my lead!" Terra shouted as he quickly used his Ultima Cannon Shoot Lock and fired a powerful blast of energy at the massive Unversed, stunning it long enough for Riku to fire a volley of Dark Firaga at it, damaging it. The massive Unversed shook off the damage and spun down into the ground.

"MOVE!" Terra shouted as he started running away from the thrones.

"WHERE?" Riku asked before he felt the ground beneath him start to shake. He quickly leapt away just as the Iron Imprisoner burst up from the ground where he had been standing. Riku spun around with a fierce swing but it was no good, he was quickly knocked away by its hammer. Riku landed on his chest in a skid but his armor had borne the brunt of the damage and remained active. Riku leapt to his feet.

"How do we stop this thing?" Riku asked as Terra quickly cast a Fission Firaga which hit the Unversed head on as it charged towards them, stopping its advance.

"Hit it with a Shoot Lock!" Terra shouted as Riku complied, rearing back his Keyblade which started to glow yellow for a moment before hurling it at the Unversed. The Keyblade struck the Iron Imprisoner before disappearing and then reappearing from a different angle and attacking again. It did this several more times before the Keyblade wedged itself in the gibbet and started glowing with dark energy before suddenly exploding. It was Riku's Dragon Slayer Shoot Lock. The Iron Imprisoner was stunned for a moment before it roared angrily and started spinning around rapidly, creating a cyclone of fire around it as it spun.

"Uh-oh, RUN FOR IT!" Terra shouted as he and Riku started running in opposite directions but the Imprisoner was too fast and overtook Riku, knocking him into wall behind the thrones.

"RIKU!" Terra shouted as the Iron Imprisoner stopped spinning. Riku was now unconscious and unarmored on the ground behind the thrones and Terra was left alone with the massive Unversed.

"Alright, let's see how you handle this!" Terra said as he took a deep breath, allowing an aura of black energy to rise from his back and shoulders. He then aimed his Keyblade at the Iron Imprisoner and fired off his the Black Volley Shoot Lock, impacting against the massive Unversed and causing it to stagger backwards. It was suddenly knocked forward from a sudden wave attacks from behind. Terra watched confused until he spotted it. It was an armored Ven using his Multivortex Shoot Lock. His final attack knocked the giant Unversed over, causing it to start dissolving in the usual black flames. The Iron Imprisoner had been defeated once again.

"Ven! You're alright!" Terra exclaimed as he dismissed his armor. Ven was running up to him, his armor vanishing as he ran.

"Terra!" Ven exclaimed as he caught his breath, a look of panic on his face.

"Oi, what a headache." Riku grumbled as he trudged up towards them, rubbing the back of his head.

"You okay, Riku?" Terra asked as Riku nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you Ven?" Riku asked but Ven shook his head.

"No I'm not alright! We've got real trouble!" Ven exclaimed.

"Calm down, Ven. It can't be all that bad." Terra said but Riku wasn't convinced.

"Ven, where's Sora?" Riku asked.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! I-I…I don't know!"

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Aqua found herself standing in the middle of Mirage Arena's basic arena. (A/N: The blue and red domed tile arena). Across from her was the Mimic Master, walking towards her. (Battle Music Cue: Blinded By Light – Final Fantasy XIII OST disc 2)

"Augh! Not now!" Aqua groaned as she dropped into her battle stance. The Mimic Master opened its book which immediately burst into flames before it started chasing after her. Aqua was forced to turn and run in order to evade the charging Unversed.

"_Blast! I can't waste time here! Who knows what that creep is doing to Kairi at this moment…not to mention whatever Kuja's doing to her. If only I had some backup…wait a second! That's IT!"_ Aqua thought to herself before she cartwheeled off to the side, causing the Mimic Master to fly past her. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out the L'Cie Pendant before throwing it up into the air. The Pendant started glowing pink for a moment before in a burst of light, Lightning dropped down from within the light, her gunblade set to blade form.

"Aqua!" Lightning exclaimed as she spotted the Keyblade Master.

"Lightning! Behind you!" Aqua shouted. Lightning glanced over her shoulder and saw the Mimic Master about to smash her with its book but she quickly spun around and delivered a fierce swing with her sword, knocking the Unversed off guard. Lightning then performed a series of back flips towards Aqua, switching her gunblade to its gun form in midair.

"What is that?" Lightning asked calmly.

"The Mimic Master Unversed! Sorry about this but I needed to end this battle fast and you were my only available option!" Aqua replied as Lightning nodded.

"I understand. In that case…" Lightning said before she threw a pink sphere into the air and fired a shot at it, causing it to burst open. In a flash of light, a large horse with metal armor plates appeared and landed on the ground next to Lightning. Aqua then heard a strange series of mechanical sounds as the horse began to transform into a giant mechanical man with two large jagged J shaped blades put together like an S.

"Lightning, what is that?" Aqua asked in awe just as the giant man charged towards the Mimic Master and started attacking it with the blade, causing a Thundaga blast to strike the helpless Unversed with each blow.

"That is the Eidolon, Odin. It's a long story." Lightning replied.

"But where-?" Aqua asked but was interrupted.

"You said you needed the fight over quickly. I suggest you use whatever power with the Keyblade you have and use it to end this fight as fast as possible." Lightning suggested as she switched her gunblade back to blade form and charged in to join Odin in battle. Aqua quickly started charging her Shiny Bloom Shoot Lock.

"This is going to take everything I've got!" Aqua shouted as she fired off the Shoot Lock, sending waves of white bolts of energy towards the Mimic Master as it was overwhelmed by Lightning and Odin's attacks. Odin suddenly transformed back into the horse form, tossing its twin blades into the air and allowing Lightning to catch them once she had landed on his back. In one move she had separated the blades into its two J shaped forms. The Mimic Master was stunned and immobile, its head rolling around as if dizzy.

"Now's our chance! Hit it with everything you've got!" Aqua shouted as she charged towards the Mimic Master. Lightning and Odin struck first, dealing a ferocious blow that sent countless bolts of lightning into it upon impact. Aqua slid to a halt and thrust her Keyblade upwards into the air, creating eight magic spheres of light over head. In a flash she teleported up behind one sphere and batted it towards the Mimic Master. She then teleported behind another and batted it at the Unversed again. She did this until all eight of the spheres had hit, causing the Mimic Master to grunt in pain and vanish in black flames. It had been defeated. (End Battle Music)

"Thanks for the help, Lightning. I owe you one." Aqua said as she caught her breath.

"Let's call it even for helping me find Serah all those months ago." Lightning said, still mounted on Odin's back.

"Well thank you anyway. I hate to run, but I've really got to check on Kairi. She's stuck between a pervert and a guy working for the enemy." Aqua said as Lightning furrowed her brow.

"Aren't they usually one and the same?" she asked.

"Not in this case. Oh, before I go, have you seen Sora lately?" Aqua asked. Lightning furrowed her brow again.

"You mean, you don't know?" Lightning asked as Aqua shook her head.

"Know about what?"

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Kairi was standing atop a tall orange crystalline tower, surrounded by multiple hexagonal orange platforms and pillars suspended in midair as if by magic. (A/N: The Crystal World for Dissidia owners)

"Where am I?" Kairi asked confused.

"You're in a world from my memories." She heard a familiar voice say. She turned and saw Zidane was turned facing away from her, looking towards a large ring floating in the air with a strange looking crystal suspended within it.

"Oh yeah. Master Aqua explained the Mirage Arena to me once. It's a world that creates places from your memories so you can do battle." Kairi explained as she walked up towards him.

"Mmm. I imagine Kuja's behind this." Zidane grumbled as he crossed his arms. He then turned towards Kairi with a smile.

"Oh well, at least I have a cute girl here to keep me company." Zidane said with a shrug.

"Um, Zidane, you're a nice guy and all but…I've already got a boyfriend." Kairi said as Zidane smiled with a sigh.

"Oh well, I can't win them all." Zidane said.

"Truer words were never spoken, brother." They heard Kuja's voice say from nearby. They turned and saw him floating in midair between the platform and the strange crystal.

"Kuja!" Zidane exclaimed, drawing his twin daggers again.

"Did you think to be rid of me that easily, brother? This arena is the perfect place to entrap mongrels like you." Kuja said as Zidane snarled.

"Come down here and tell it to my face, Kuja!" Zidane shouted but Kuja laughed.

"Surprisingly, brother, you're not the only reason I'm here. That letter you were given was actually a tracking device. It allowed me to find out where you were. But you see, that girl has something within her Heart that I need to dispose of. A fragment of something very important." Kuja said, earning shocked expression from Kairi.

"The X-Blade fragments! You're here to purge them from my heart!" Kairi exclaimed as she dropped into her battle stance.

"Quite correct, my dear. Those fragments are preventing my employers plans from moving forward. Now will you purge those fragments yourself, or must I do it for you?" Kuja asked as the spheres that were circling around him started glowing brighter.

"Never! Purging those fragments would allow the X-Blade to be forged again!" Kairi exclaimed as Kuja chuckled.

"Ah, she catches on now." Kuja said.

"Uh, I don't get what all this talk about Keyblades is all about but I imagine it can't be good." Zidane said as Kairi shook her head.

"Imagine a Keyblade with the power to plunge all the worlds into Darkness. It can only be forged by combining a heart of pure light with a heart of pure darkness and I've got the fragments of the X-Blade within my heart. As long as those fragments remain in my heart, then the X-Blade can't be forged." Kairi said as Zidane scratched his head.

"And how did you get those fragments?" Zidane asked, confused.

"You really are a fool, brother. She is a Princess of Heart. She has a heart of pure light and thus has half of the required ingredients to make the X-Blade. However all that is required of her at this juncture is the purging of those fragments. Now, shall we do this the easy way, or the hard way?" Kuja asked as Kairi and Zidane both dropped into their battle stances.

"Looks like it's the hard way, Kuja!" Zidane exclaimed as Kuja smiled.

"This shall give me the perfect opportunity then, to perform a special piece I've been preparing for just this occasion. Do you want to know what it is, brother? It's your requiem!" Kuja exclaimed as the battle began…

* * *

**End Chapter 27…**

A/N: Okay, you're probably saying something like this…

"Xehanort's Keyblade was never named," or "I didn't know that was the name of Xehanort's Keyblade!" Well if you said the latter, then you've been unintentionally fooled. I needed Xehanort's Keyblade to have a name and so I gave it the name Darkness Seeker. I also based his human appearance on images of a young Master Xehanort found on the KH Wiki.


	28. Kuja & the Terrible News

(Battle Music Cue: Battle 1 "arrange" from Final Fantasy IX – Final Fantasy Dissidia OST)

Kairi and Zidane were staring Kuja down, or rather he was staring them down from overhead. In a flash he hurled a small sphere of light towards them. Kairi dodge rolled clear while Zidane leapt into the air, both clearing the sphere just in time before it exploded in a spectacular burst of light. Kuja turned and saw Zidane fly in with his twin blades. He started swinging the blades at Kuja who blocked with the magic spheres before firing a sphere at Zidane, knocking him back slightly before five red spheres appeared around him, shot upwards into the air before turning and converging down towards him. Before the spheres hit, a bright flash of light surrounded Zidane causing Kuja to shield himself. When the light faded, he saw Kairi holding onto Zidane, shielding him from the attack.

"Hmm, a noble sentiment. Too bad that it's no use." Kuja said before Kairi performed a graceful back flip and landed on her feet on one of the hexagonal crystals in the air.

"I'm not giving up, Kuja! I'm not letting you hurt him!" Kairi exclaimed as Zidane landed next to her.

"Why are you helping me?" Zidane asked curiously.

"Virtue!" Kairi replied before leaping back into the air at Kuja who floated back away from her as she swung her Keyblade, attempting to deliver an attack. Kuja simply chuckled before floating backwards and hurling all eight of his spheres at her. Kairi expertly deflected all eight with a single Reflega. However, instead of the regular Reflega, this one was different. Instead of the bursts of light simply firing off in all directions, they burst out and flew towards Kuja whose eyes widened. Kuja attempted to fly away from them but they exploded, sending him flying through three crystal columns. Kairi landed on the central platform where Zidane landed to her side.

"Virtue?" Zidane asked as Kairi's helmet disappeared. She turned towards him and gave him a smile.

"Virtue. Does one need an excuse to help others? That's my definition of it. That's also why I'm helping you." Kairi said before her helmet reformed on her head. Zidane smiled back, taking to heart what Kairi said before dropping back into his battle stance.

"Then let me be chivalrous!" Zidane exclaimed before charging towards the recovered Kuja. Zidane froze in midair before firing off a barrage of small red bolts of energy. Kuja dodged and weaved around the bolts before firing three slow moving rings of energy towards Zidane. Zidane quickly spun in midair and evaded the rings. Zidane was about to attack when Kuja blasted him with all eight of his spheres, knocking him away. He landed hard on the ground next to Kairi.

"Chivalrous?" She asked curiously.

"Does a guy need an excuse to help a cute girl?" Zidane asked with a grin as he remained on his back in the crater he had made on impact. Kairi sighed before shaking her head with an unseen smile due to the helmet.

"Guess not." She said before seeing Kuja was suddenly glowing with energy.

"It seems that all your effort has gotten you nowhere. Now I shall deal with the both of you!" Kuja said before throwing his hands towards the sky, causing a rain of large purple orbs to start raining down over Kairi and Zidane's heads. Kairi quickly grabbed Zidane and leapt clear, landing on a hexagonal crystal block nearby.

"I hate to ask this, especially of a cute girl, but can you distract him for me for a second? I need a chance to power up my ultimate ability." Zidane whispered as Kairi nodded.

"I'll buy you as much time as you need." Kairi replied before leaping towards Kuja and attacking with a fierce swing of the Keyblade. Kuja narrowly managed to dodge but one of the feathers on his head got sliced off.

"What? What happened? My head feels lighter!" Kuja yelped as soon as Kairi had landed nearby. He ran his hand over his head for a moment and his jaw dropped in horror when he saw the remnant of the broken feather floating down towards the ground. He immediately started glowing with a pink aura of energy.

"That TEARS IT! You have just forfeited your LIFE!" Kuja exclaimed as he suddenly was enveloped in a burst of pink light. When the light faded, he was covered, head to toe in pink fur and his skin had turned a pale white. (A/N: Think his Trance/EX mode). Before Kairi could even blink, Kuja was face to face with her, less than an inch between them. She was suddenly dealt a fierce blow to the chest and knocked away towards and through a series of the hexagonal crystals. Kuja flew after her but much to his surprise, an unarmored Kairi flew out back towards him. As she flew towards him she felt something was different inside of her.

"_What is this feeling? Oh no…he's purged the X-Blade Fragments! What do I do now?" _She asked herself. She flew past Kuja, swinging but missing with her Keyblade. Instead she had to quickly block when one of his eight spheres, which were now emitting flames as they spun around him, came around and knocked her towards the central platform. She landed in a tuck and roll before leaping to her feet. She glanced over at Zidane who was still powering up but Kuja had his sights set on her.

"_There's got to be some way to buy Zidane some time!" _Kairi said mentally. Kuja suddenly launched the three rings of energy at her. Before she could even move, a Reflega spell appeared, blocking the rings and sending the bolts of light after Kuja, knocking him away into the hexagonal crystals again. Kairi looked and saw a semi-transparent Namine standing in front of her with her arms outstretched to the sides. She then turned with a smile to her other.

"_Let me help. Allow me to help you defeat him."_ Namine said before disappearing. Kairi then felt a strange power building in her Keyblade just as Kuja burst free from the crystals again. She quickly aimed the Keyblade at Kuja allowing a white glow to appear around the Keyblade. Suddenly a series of black chains fired from the tip of the Keyblade towards Kuja.

"Now you'll see what happens when you mess with-…huh?" Kuja asked as he stopped in midair. To his eyes, Kairi had vanished and instead he was now staring another person right in the face.

"Well hello there." It was another Kuja. This one however was wearing blue hued clothing. (A/N: Dissidia Alternate costume).

"Hmm, I must say, I do look quite charming. I think perhaps that Blue is really my color." Kuja said to his clone. In reality, Kairi was giggling as she watched the spectacle. She could see a semi-transparent image of the Kuja clone and the real Kuja's eyes were glowing white.

"What are you doing?" She heard Zidane ask from behind.

"I've discovered my last Shoot Lock. Chain of Memories. It allows me to enter my opponent's memories and make them see the one person or thing they could never harm. Apparently for Kuja, the one person he'd never harm is himself." Kairi giggled. She was mentally high fiving Namine.

"Good, then that means he's wide open! It's time to get serious!" She heard Zidane shout before a pink blur flew past her towards Kuja. She blinked in surprise to see that the pink blur was Zidane. His clothing had morphed into Pepto-Bismol pink fur, exposing his midriff while turning his hair and tail pink as well. He still carried his twin daggers. He burst through the illusionary Kuja, startling the real Kuja.

"What?" He yelped as Zidane grinned.

"It's not over yet!" he exclaimed before he flew past, delivering a fierce blow as he did. He then attacked from another angle, then another, and another, until finally he spun his daggers overhead with a grin.

"And for the final touch!" He exclaimed as he turned, engulfed in flames, and charged straight towards Kuja. He then spiraled around him, leaving a spinning flame around his older brother as he shouted…

"Fly AWA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AY!" He finished spiraling around Kuja towards Kairi as he flashed her a winning smile and a wink. (End Battle Music) Kuja howled in pain as he dropped down towards the ground, landing hard on the ground, his original form returning. Zidane landed on his feet near Kairi with a grin.

"So whaddya think? You think I can be your boyfriend now?" Zidane asked as Kairi giggled.

"I'm sorry Zidane. But my heart belongs to only one guy." Kairi said as she looked up towards the sky.

"Sora." She said dreamily. Both hers and Zidane's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter. Kuja's laughter to be precise. They both turned and saw Kuja, lying on his back, laughing.

"Oh a poor song bird. It's dreams are a hopeful tune. Your love is doomed." Kuja recited. (Note: that was a haiku.)

"What are you talking about Kuja?" Zidane asked as Kuja struggled to climb to his feet.

"Sora's the name of your beloved, right, girl?" Kuja asked as Kairi felt a sudden wave of fear overtake her, but not for herself, but for Sora.

"What do you know, Kuja?" Kairi asked as Kuja chuckled.

"Why, dear Sora's by now has been-NGH!" Kuja grunted in pain. Zidane and Kairi both gasped in shock as Kuja dropped to his knees, his body turning black before dissolving into darkness, releasing his heart as if he were a heartless. They then looked up and saw the black hooded Keyblade Rebel, Seeker, standing behind where Kuja once stood, holding a sword made of sky blue energy in his hands.

"Well done, Kuja. You served your purpose well." Seeker said as he turned and started walking away from the two.

"HEY! What did you do to my brother?" Zidane shouted angrily at Seeker who laughed.

"I did you a favor. He was no longer of any use to us. Besides…he was a potential loose end." Seeker said before disappearing in a Corridor of Darkness.

"Zidane…I'm sorry." Kairi said as she placed a hand on Zidane's shoulder. Zidane's pink fur had molted away and his clothing had returned.

"It's alright. Kuja was my brother but…only by blood, not by bond. It's a long story." Zidane said, neither of them noticing that the arena around them had faded away and the lobby was fading in to replace it.

"It still must hurt though. He might have been your brother but a part of you must feel bad that he's gone." Kairi said as Zidane nodded.

"Yeah…but I'll be okay. Thanks for helping to cheer me up Kairi." Zidane said as he moved to hug her. Before he could though he was suddenly yanked back by the tail. He looked up and saw Aqua glaring down at him with a murderous aura around her.

"Hello, pervert." Aqua said with a dark glare.

"Aqua, we don't have time for you to be dealing with him. We've got to get back to Radiant Garden and fast." Lightning said as Odin stood next to her in his horse form.

"Radiant Garden? Why, what's happened?" Kairi asked worriedly. Aqua gulped hard before answering.

"Kairi…Sora's been captured by the Keyblades."

* * *

**End Chapter 28.**

I know it's a shorter chapter than you're used to but this was a good stopping place for the chapter anyway.


	29. Sora's Capture

**In Radiant Garden…**

Sora and Ven landed their Keyblade Riders in the Marketplace where they saw Lightning standing at one of the nearby stalls, browsing.

"Hey, Lightning!" Sora called out, catching her attention.

"Hmm? Oh, Sora. Any news on your mission?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah and we might need the help of the whole Restoration Committee for this one too." Sora said as Lightning nodded.

"I'll get everyone together then. You might want to come with me and explain to the rest of the committee yourself." Lightning said as Sora and Ven looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Sora said as they followed after Lightning as she headed for Tifa's Seventh Heaven.

**…**

When Sora and Ven walked into the Inn, they saw a familiar face sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of water.

"Hey, Bartz!" Ven exclaimed, catching the adventurer's attention.

"Sora, Ven, glad to see you guys!" Bartz said with a smile.

"He's the newest member of the Restoration Committee." Leon added as he approached with Snow and Aerith.

"Really? Cool." Ven said with a smile. They then heard the door open.

"I was told this is where I could find Tifa."

"Cloud! You're back!" Sora yelped as he saw the ex-SOLDIER enter the room.

"Sora. Long time." Cloud said with a nod.

"Yeah. How did you get here?" Sora asked.

"I took my bike. By the way, a couple friends of yours say hello. Terra and Riku?" Cloud said as Sora smiled and nodded.

"Yep, that's them." Sora said before Cloud noticed Lightning who stood nearby with her arms crossed.

"I don't think we've met." Cloud said, regarding the woman with one of his unreadable faces. Naturally, Lightning was regarding him the same way.

"Lightning." She said.

"Cloud." He replied. There was a pregnant pause before Snow cleared his throat.

"Uh, Sora, Ven, was there something you needed from us?" Snow asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, we're on a mission from Master Yen Sid. We've discovered that the guys who've been running around causing trouble are actually our Keyblades in human form." Sora said, surprising most of them but confusing Cloud and Bartz.

"Keyblades in human form? What are you guys talking about?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, you guys never mentioned anything about them." Bartz said as Sora scratched his head, trying to find a way to explain. Luckily, Lightning interjected.

"We'll explain to you all later. Continue, Sora." Lightning said.

"Well you see, Master Yen Sid is trying to help us find out how the Keyblades gained human forms. So to do that he needs us to help him capture one for both Master Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise to study. According to Riku, Ansem the Wise is willing to help us out." Sora explained.

"So you need our help in order to capture one of these Keyblades Rebels for study." Leon said as Sora and Ven both nodded.

"We figured that this would be the best place as any to set a trap." Ven said as Snow tapped his chin.

"Well I'm in. I don't know about the rest of you." Snow said with a grin.

"I'll talk to the others. I'm sure they'll want to help." Aerith said as she turned and started heading up stairs.

"You can count me in too. I want to do what I can to help." Lightning said.

"Well it would be a nice change from your usual attempts to kill me." Snow mumbled, earning a narrow eyed glare from Lightning.

"Does she really try to kill him?" Ven asked as Sora nodded.

"It makes for great entertainment." Sora said with a shrug.

"So where do we want to set up this trap?" Cloud asked.

"I was thinking the Castle Postern." Sora suggested.

"Hmm. Enclosed space. Plenty of high spots. Only two access routes. Limited cover save for the canyon walls. Sounds like the perfect place to me." Lightning said.

"Hey Bartz, you want to help?" Ven asked as Bartz nodded.

"Sure. It sounds like fun." Bartz replied as he hopped off the bar stool.

"Alright, sounds like this operation is a go." Snow said with a grin as he cracked his knuckles. Just then however the door opened again.

"Excuse me, but is this Tifa's Seventh Heaven?" a blond haired woman asked as she entered with a man with messy white hair and purple lips close behind.

"Yes ma'am you've got the right place." Snow said with a nod.

"Oh good. My name is Rosa Farrell and this is my close friend Cecil Harvey. We were sent here by a couple of friends of ours. They said to say their names were Terra and Riku?" the woman asked, surprising everyone present.

"You've seen Terra and Riku? Where?" Ven asked curiously.

"The Mirage Arena is where we saw them. They helped me to learn to deal with the darkness in my heart." Cecil said as Cloud gave an understanding nod.

"You too huh?" he asked.

"Well any friend of Terra and Riku are friends of ours." Snow said with a grin.

"How's Terra doing in confronting his own Darkness? Or do you know anything about that?" Sora asked curiously.

"He's dealing with it quite well in my opinion. He saved me from some guy he called a…I think it was a Keyblade." Rosa said, surprising Sora and Ven.

"You were attacked by a Keyblade?" Ven asked as Rosa nodded.

"Yes but Terra saved me." Rosa replied with a smile.

"Well that's a relief. It sounds like he's on the right track." Sora said with a smile, resting his hands behind his head.

"Sora, don't we have a trap to set?" Lightning asked as she inspected her gunblade.

"Trap? What sort of trap?" Cecil asked curiously.

"We're trying to capture one of those Keyblade guys you mentioned." Sora replied.

"We need to capture one so we can study them and find out why they gained Human forms." Ven added.

"Then would you allow me to help? I would consider it an expression of my gratitude towards Riku and Terra for all they've done for both myself and Rosa." Cecil said as Sora nodded.

"Sure, the more we have involved, the easier it'll be." Sora said with a grin.

* * *

**Later in the Castle Postern…**

Sora and Ven were standing in the middle of the Castle Postern, looking rather bored. Hiding in various spots around the area were the various members of the Restoration Committee.

"This is getting ridiculous." Ven mumbled.

"Maybe if we had something they wanted. Like maybe the location of the Keyhole perhaps?" Sora asked as Ven shrugged.

"I'm beginning to think that this plan was kinda dumb. What makes us think that they'll just show up?" Ven asked. Before either could reply, there was a sudden earthquake that knocked them off their feet. (Battle Music Cue: The Encounter – KH2 OST) All around them, a number of Flood, Scrapper, and Bruiser type Unversed started appearing. Even worse, they were appearing in all the spots where the Restoration Committee was lying in wait. This forced the Committee Members into having to reveal themselves in order to fight off the Unversed. Sora and Ven were trapped in the center of the Postern with no way to reach their comrades.

"Uh oh!" Sora exclaimed.

"See! This is why I was starting to think this was a bad plan!" Ven said.

"On the contrary, it was a very good plan!" they heard a voice say. They turned around in time for a massive silver armored warrior to crash into Ven, knocking him across the Postern and into the wall.

"VEN!" Sora exclaimed as he watched Ven fall to the ground, unconscious. He then saw the armored warrior drop something onto Ven that enveloped him in a flash of light that shot up into the air. The light bounced around for a moment as it continued ascending before vanishing.

"What did you do to him?" Sora asked as he dropped into his battle stance.

"He is alright, Heart-Bound, Sora." Sora heard a voice say from behind. He whirled around to see Light standing behind him with his sword and shield ready.

"Uh-oh." He mumbled as he realized that he was facing his own Keyblade.

"The Heart-Bound, Ventus has merely been sent to his homeworld so that he cannot interfere." Light said as he raised his sword and dropped into a battle stance.

"Look, Kingdom Key, we don't have to fight! What have we Keyblade wielders ever done to offend you or make you want to fight us?" Sora asked, causing Light to pause with a thoughtful expression. Before either of them could make a comment, Sora's instincts kicked in and he quickly spun around in time to block fierce blow from Dark's massive sword. Dark immediately began to laugh with sinister delight.

"At long last, I have a chance to reenter the cycle of BATTLE!" Dark exclaimed as he shoved Sora back and charged towards him. Sora quickly leapt over Dark just as the towering armored warrior swung across in front of him. Sora quickly activated his armor and spun around to face the towering Keyblade Rebel but as he swung the Keyblade he felt it stop inches from its target. Sora glanced over his shoulder and saw Light with his hand outstretched towards him, stopping his Keyblade form from striking his brother. Sora quickly leapt backwards in order to dodge another fierce blow from Dark.

"Bathe in the light!" Light shouted as he swung his sword towards the ground, sending a burst of light traveling along the ground towards Sora who quickly dodge rolled clear. Sora quickly reached in his pocket and was about to toss Axel's Chakram Pendant into the air when it was knocked out of his hands by the chained tip of Dark's blade which retracted back into the main blade. Sora was in a bind. He couldn't use his Keyblade or its abilities because of Light's interference and he couldn't call upon Axel to help with the pendant knocked from his hands. Sora was trapped between Light and Dark. Dark immediately disconnected part of his blade and spun the pieces at his sides.

"To Ash!" he shouted, firing four bolts of red energy that homed in on Sora. Sora blocked the attack successfully but it was a rouse as Light flew in and knocked Sora into the air with his shield before delivering a series of bitter blows with the sword. Sora was helpless now as his armor vanished. From the top of the blue cliff walls overlooking the Postern, Lightning spotted the battle taking place in the postern.

"Sora!" Lightning exclaimed as she tried to reach him but was bogged down by Unversed to stop what happened next.

"Miserable insect." Dark mumbled as he charged in with his sword bent at an angle, catching Sora in the crux of the sword before slamming him hard into the ground, knocking the Keyblade Master unconscious. Dark laughed maliciously as he grabbed the unconscious Sora by the collar and hefted him up.

"Victory. Come brother, the Master awaits our return." Dark said as he turned and opened the imploding portal. He walked through, carrying the unconscious Sora over his shoulder. Light was close behind but paused and glanced around at the battle going on around them.

"No more." He said softly. Instantly the Unversed disappeared. Without missing a beat, Lightning leapt forward and charged towards Light who quickly raised his shield to block the blow. Before she could even reach him, she vanished in a flash of pink light. Light was confused as he turned and looked around. He then noticed Firion knocking an arrow into his bow and aiming at him. Light quickly leapt back into the portal which closed as soon as he had passed through.

* * *

"And that's what happened to Sora." Lightning said as she finished explaining what had happened to Aqua, Kairi, and Zidane. They were still in Mirage Arena.

"Oh no. Sora!" Kairi exclaimed in fear.

"Is there anything we can do?" Aqua asked.

"It's your call. You're a Keyblade Master." Lightning said as Aqua sighed and thought for a moment.

"We need to regroup. We need to head to Radiant Garden. Perhaps Master Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise have found something that can lead us to where Sora has been taken." Aqua said as she started heading towards the teleporter.

"Hey, what about me?" Zidane asked.

"Who's he?" Lightning asked.

"Zidane. Watch yourself he's a pervert." Aqua said as Lightning, without even blinking or turning towards him, had drawn her gunblade, converted it to sword form, and held the tip of the blade inches from Zidane's face. Aqua was about to step onto the teleporter when suddenly she and Kairi both froze.

"Master Yen Sid?" Aqua asked in surprise as she sensed him attempting to establish a D-Link with her and Kairi.

"_Aqua, Kairi, Riku, Ventus, Terra! You must come quickly to Radiant Garden! We have discovered the answers that we have been seeking about the Keyblades! Waste no time! Take no detours! Come straight to Ansem the Wise's Laboratories in Radiant Garden! I shall meet you there!" _Yen Sid instructed via D-Link.

"Lightning, let's go! Master Yen Sid has information that might help us!" Aqua said as Lightning turned to Odin who transformed into his horse form. She immediately leapt onto his back. She suddenly found a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She sighed in frustration before saying…

"Zidane…I'll let you ride along, but watch the hands."

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

"Where…where am I?" Sora asked as he started to come around. He tried to move but discovered his arms and legs had been bound by a number of chains that were wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and waist. He was suspended in midair too. He didn't recognize where he was, but he was in a dark chamber with a beam of sunlight shining down on him from overhead. He then heard the sound of a door opening along with the shuffling of feet. The room was quickly bathed in light which revealed that he was within what appeared to be the main hall of a castle. He looked and saw, slowly entering, were the Keyblade Rebels.

"Wow! Looky Ion! They caught a Heart-Bound!" Keep exclaimed excitedly before Ion shushed her.

"Keep, be silent." Ion said as he stared at Sora in a mixture of shock and dismay.

"What is the meaning of this? Since when have we stooped to kidnapping?" Rain asked confused. She and Dawn both had the same exact expressions as Ion did. Des simply lowered her head in sadness. Beco retained her usual uninterested expression. Wind had his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed while staring at Sora curiously. Sha and Mark were both pleased as the smiles on their faces attested. Seeker and Dark's expressions were unreadable due to the hood and mask respectively. Light however remained contemplative.

"Alright, so you've got me chained up here in…wherever this place is. But you do realize that my friends are going to come for me soon, right?" Sora asked as he struggled to get free but suddenly found a chain wrapped around his neck.

"**Oh, we're counting on it." **A pair of voices, one male and one female, said in unison amidst the sound of rattling chains.

Amidst the sound of chains was now the sound of footsteps but they were different. One pair of footsteps was the clumping sound of boots while the other pair was the gentle slapping sound of bare feet. Some of the Keyblades eyes widened and some even backed away with expressions of fear. Sora couldn't turn his head to look but soon he didn't need to as a pair of hands reached up to the chain around his neck and pulled him down closer to the floor. His eyes widened at what he saw. To his left was a woman's face that looked like an older version of Kairi except she had sickly grey skin with glowing yellow eyes. Her hair was grey from the roots all the way until her waist which was Kairi's usual red for the rest of the way. She wore a tattered pink shirt under a black coat with white trim similar to the one that Master Xehanort once wore only tattered. She also wore a tattered grey skirt that was left slightly open at the front, revealing her bare feet. To his right was a young man's face, also a sickly gray with the glowing yellow eyes and with spiky grey hair similar to Terra's. He wore a tattered black vest with a high collar and no shirt, exposing a well toned muscular chest and stomach but with an X shaped scar right over his heart. He wore a pair of tattered dark grey pants with a pair of worn black boots similar to the ones once worn by the members of Organization XIII. On both the man and the woman's arms were shackles that were connected to the countless chains in the room. There were even chains sprouting through holes in the back of their shirts, implying that the chains were physically attached to their skin as well.

"Master, what do you wish us to do with this Heart-Bound?" Dark asked with a humble bow.

"**We shall be the one to…interrogate him." **The two spoke in perfect unison. It was at that moment that Sora realized that he had been brought before the Master of the Keyblade Rebels. His mind went absolutely blank save for one word which he knew was pointless.

"Um…Parlay?"

* * *

**End Chapter 29.**

Up next, the Master's true identity is revealed!


	30. The Master of Keys

Sora was trapped and at the mercy of the Master of the Keyblade Rebels. The female gave him oddly lustful grins while the male simply stood with his arms crossed and a sinister smile on his face, both of their backs turned to their subordinates while they stared up at him.

"Master! This is absurd! What good will come of having a Keyblade Master as our hostage?" Rain asked, earning silent and unseen narrow eyed glares from the Master.

"**Silence. We need not explain our reasons to you."** The Master replied in unison.

"But what about the other Heart-Bound? They're destined to come for him eventually!" Ion asked angrily.

"Is it your intent for us to do battle with them?" Dawn asked curiously, crossing his arms. They both recoiled when the Master turned towards them with angry expressions.

"**How else are we to be rid of them? The only way to be rid of the Heart-Bound is to kill them in battle. They are destined to come for this one. And facing them in battle is precisely what we are going to do."** The Master said impatiently.

"Couldn't you have told us that from the beginning?" Wind asked. The Master glared at him, causing him to recoil in fear.

"It would seem the one destined to be King doesn't even have the courage to face the Master." Sha chuckled with a grin before suddenly finding a chain looped around his neck, constricting him.

"**That is quite enough! You are all dismissed! Prepare yourselves for the inevitable battle to come and do not enter this room until we have sent for you!"** The Master ordered angrily, their voice so loud it caused the walls to vibrate and small trickles of dust to fall from overhead. Dawn, Ion, Keep, Rain, Des, and Wind quickly scrambled out of the room. Sha, Beco, Seeker, Dark, and Mark shared sinister smiles with each other as they walked out of the room. Light was the most hesitant to leave and remained in place. The Master finally noticed him and glanced towards him with uninterested expressions.

"**What is it now, Light?"** They asked.

"Master, forgive my insolence, but I still have questions to ask you." Light said, earning a groan of frustration from the Master's male half.

"Be gone with you, Light. Your questions will be answered in time." The female half of the Master said as she turned her attention to Sora. Light stood in contemplation for a moment before he looked up at Sora who gave him a silent pleading expression. Suddenly Light heard something, a voice that sounded like Sora.

"_Why are you fighting us? Find the truth. Darkness holds many truths."_ Light's eyes widened when he heard the voice. His eyes then narrowed as he glanced towards the side door to the chamber. He immediately turned and walked quickly towards the door, slamming it shut behind him. As soon as the door shut, the Master's smile returned on both halves of it. Just then ominous music started playing. (Music Cue: Oogie Boogie's Song – The Nightmare Before Christmas OST). The lights in the chamber even started to take on a greenish glow along the walls as if illuminated from below. Then the male started saying…

"_Well-well-well, what have we here?" _

Then the female replied…

"_Sora, huh bro?"_

Then the male said sarcastically…

"_Ooh, we're really scared."_

Then the female laughed…

"_So you're the one everybody's talkin' about, D__ah-ha-ha-ha__!"_

Then the male started singing…

"_You're jokin', you're jokin'!  
We can't believe our eyes!"_

Then the female added…

"_You're jokin us, you gotta be.  
This can't be the right guy."_

The Male then said…

"_He's young!"_

And the female added, running a hand through Sora's hair…

"_He's spiky."_

And the male sang…

"_We don't know which is worse.  
We might just break a chain now  
if we don't die laughing first!"_

Then they both started singing in unison…

"_When the two of us say  
there's trouble close at hand  
you'd better pay attention now  
'cause you might be a dyin' man.  
And if you aren't shakin'  
there's somethin' very wrong.  
'Cause this may be the last time,  
you hear our little song."_

Then the male sang as the female replied…

Male: _"Woo-hoo"_  
Female: _"Oh-oh"_  
Male: _"Whoa-oh"_  
Female: _"Whoa-ho"_

Then they both sang…

"_Oh, we've got the final word."_

Then the male sang…

"_Well if we're feelin' antsy…"_

And the female continued, rubbing her hands together with a grin…

"…_And there's nothin' much to do,  
we might just cook a special batch  
of our evil schemes for you."_

Then the male sang…

"And don't ya know the one thing  
that would make it work so nice?"

And they both sang in unison…

"A young, thin, punky kid, with hair made of spikes!"

Then the female sang as the male replied…

Female: _"Woo-hoo"_  
Male: _"Oh-oh"_  
Female: _"Whoa-oh"_  
Male: _"Whoa-ho"_

Then they both sang in unison…

"_Oh yeah we've got the final say."_

Then Sora said, causing the two to pause curiously...

"_Release me now,  
or you will face the dire consequences.  
Others will come looking for me,  
so you better come to your senses."_

The female reacted first, with a completely amused expression as she sang…

"_PAH! You're jokin', you're jokin'!  
We can't believe our ears!"_

And the male continued…

"_Would someone shut this fella up!  
We're drownin' in our tears!"_

Then they both sang in unison…

"_It's funny, we're laughing!  
You really are too much.  
And now, with your permission,  
we're going to do our stuff."_

"What exactly are you going to do?" Sora asked nervously as the two grinned.

"**We're gonna do the best we can." **They replied as their chains started rattling and Sora started moving towards the beam of sunlight. Then they both started singing in unison…

"_Whoa, the sound of shakin' chains,  
to us is music in the air,  
'Cause we're an evil set-o-twins,  
and so we don't play fair."_

Sora was then being hefted higher into the air as the twins sang…

"_It's much more fun, we must confess  
with hearts on the line.  
Not ours, of course, but yours, old boy,  
now that'd be just fine."_

Then Sora started rotating clockwise around overhead as the twins spun around beneath him on their feet to match. He then shouted down to them as he kept spinning…

"_Release me fast or you will have to,  
answer for this heinous act."_

The twins replied in unison with a roll of their eyes…

"_Oh, brother, you're something.  
You put us in a spin.  
You aren't comprehending,  
the position  
that you're in.  
It's hopeless, you're finished.  
You haven't got a prayer!"_

Then they rose up past his level, pulling him around so he was facing up towards them as they moved in close to his face and sang with evil grins…

"_'Cause we're the ones in charge,  
and __you __ain't going __nowhere__."_

(End Music.)

* * *

**Elsewhere in the castle…**

Light was storming through the castle in a heated search for something. Finally he spotted what he was looking for, walking towards him in the hallway.

"Brother!" Light exclaimed as he marched up towards Dark.

"What is the matter, brother?" Dark asked, his yellow eyes piercing through his helmet at Light.

"I have a question and you're the only one who can answer it." Light said as he blocked Dark's path, forcing the armored warrior to stop.

"Very well. What is your question brother?" Dark asked.

"What happened on the Destiny Islands? You exited the portal a few seconds after I did and then we get reports that the world has fallen into Darkness. It's heart, stolen by a Heartless and not returned. I remember when we left, the world was in perfect condition so that leaves only one possible explanation. Did you or did you not, command a Heartless to consume the heart of the Destiny Islands?" Light asked. Dark remained silent for a moment before chuckling.

"Brother, honestly. Would I do something like that? What purpose would it serve us? The loss of that world's heart is regrettable but it was not my doing." Dark replied.

"You ask me if I believe you to be capable of doing such a thing from a moral standpoint. Truth be told, I do not know you at all, Brother, so I am incapable of properly judging you in my own opinion, but that does not mean I do not suspect you of deception." Light said, not noticing Seeker appear from around the corner and turn to stare at them curiously.

"Is there something wrong?" Seeker asked.

"Yes brother…is there something wrong, for if there is, I would like to be presented with some proof first." Dark said as he loomed over Light, staring down at him. Light sighed in defeat and turned away.

"No…there is nothing wrong." Light said before he turned and walked away, bound for the courtyard. As soon as he had departed, Seeker walked up next to Dark.

"Well?" he asked.

"All according to plan." Dark replied.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Light walked into the courtyard. His head was hung down in contemplation. He happened to glance up and spot Dawn, standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring up at the sky.

"It is the calm before the storm." Dawn said as Light looked up and saw storm clouds starting to gather in the sky above, yet it was deathly silent.

"Something big is coming this way. I can feel it." Light said as Dawn nodded.

"Indeed."

"Dawn, May I ask you something." Light said as Dawn turned and looked at his comrade.

"Speak, friend." Dawn replied.

"When you look into my heart…what do you see?" Light asked.

"I see as your name implies. I see the light within you." Dawn said as Light sighed and turned away.

"Then why do I feel guilt? Why do I feel like everything I've done is of the Darkness?" Light asked as Dawn placed a hand on his armored shoulder.

"I do not have the answers for you, Light. However…you are not the only one who feels these same emotions, especially with the capture of the Heart-Bound, Sora." Dawn said, earning a surprised expression from Light.

"Really?" he asked curiously before a voice replied…

"You're not alone, Light." Light turned and saw that Des was standing nearby with a caring smile on her face.

"We all feel the same way." Des said as she approached him.

"We?" Light asked curiously.

"She means us." Light turned and saw Rain, Ion, Keep, and even Wind approaching them. Keep was naturally riding on Ion's shoulders but her usual childlike smile was gone, replaced with a worried expression.

"You feel the same guilt that I do?" Light asked as the others nodded.

"Something's not right around here, Light. We can't explain it, but there's something going on around here and we don't like it." Rain said as Wind nodded.

"Yeah. My royal instincts tell me that we've been going about this the wrong way." Wind said as he crossed his arms.

"But what can we do to get us the answers when there are none to find, and no one to trust to give us the straight answer?" Ion asked.

"Actually…" Light said as he looked towards the door to the main hall, "…there is only one thing I can think of that will give us the answers."

"The book the Master said contained the knowledge of our human origins. Even with what you collected, there should be at least some information in there to provide us with at least an inkling as to whether or not we're on the right path." Rain said, pushing up her glasses.

"But how are we to acquire it without the Master's noticing?" Ion asked as Light took a deep breath.

"I have a plan, but it'll be risky. For all intents and purposes, Sora's capture might give us the chance we need to get the book." Light said as he turned to Wind.

"Lord Wind, we are going to need your help." Light said earning a blank stare from Rain and Ion.

"**Please tell me you're kidding."** They both said in unison as Wind grinned.

"Tell me what you need, and I'll get it for ya." Wind said giving Light a thumbs up.

"I am going to distract the Master while you sneak in and grab the book and get out with it. The rest of you will be stationed at one of the entrances to aid in his escape or back him up if necessary." Light said as the others shared uncomfortable glances.

"I dunno, Light. This does sound pretty risky." Ion said nervously.

"You do realize what the Master is, don't you?" Rain asked but Light shook his head.

"You have never mentioned what the Master is, only that it is unspoken." Light said. Again they shared uncomfortable glances before Rain sighed.

"Light, the reason the Master is the Master is because they are the human form embodiments of the most powerful Keyblade in existence." Rain said.

"I see. All the more reason to go ahead with the plan." Light said, confusing the others.

"Huh?"

"Every time that Keyblade has ever been forged, it has been in the hands of Darkness. If we are to fulfill our duty as Keyblades, then we must ensure that the Master's Keyblade form is never recreated or else it will doom all the worlds to darkness and thus render our born purpose useless. Looking at the information in that book, will help us learn what the Master's true intentions are." Light said as Wind crossed his arms and grinned.

"I'm in."

"**Huh?"**

"Light's right, we have to keep them from reaching full strength. Besides if they do that, then how else can I stand above everyone else as King?" Wind asked with a grin, earning groans from Rain and Ion.

"As much as I would like to smack you for that, he's kinda got a point. We need to find out what's in that book." Rain said as Ion and Keep both nodded.

"Then count us in." Ion said as a determined expression swept Keep's face.

"And me as well." Dawn said with a smile and a nod.

"Don't forget me." Des said with a sweet smile.

"Rain, it's now down to you." Light said as Rain pushed up her glasses and smirked.

"While the odds of success are against us, I happen to enjoy risk taking." Rain said as Light turned towards the castle, raising his blade vertical and parallel to his face.

"By this sword, I swear on my very life that the Master, the X-Blade incarnate, shall never be forged in their human form for better or for worst." Light said before they started walking towards the castle, mentally preparing themselves for the mission that lay before them.

* * *

**End Chapter 30.**

That's right! The Master is the X-Blade in human form. I call the male half, Kai (the other pronunciation of Key) and the female half, Blade. So together they are Kai & Blade, the X-Blade twins.

The song above was an altered version of the Oogie Boogie Song from Tim Burton's the Nightmare Before Christmas. I call this version, "The X-Blade Twins Song."


	31. Origins

In Radiant Garden, the sun was starting to set as six streaks of light appeared in the sky overhead, three coming from one direction and the other three from the opposite direction. Three of the streaks of light were Ven, Terra, and Riku returning from the Land of Departure while the other three were Aqua, Kairi, and Lightning with Zidane Tribal, returning from Mirage Arena. They each landed outside Tifa's Seventh Heaven.

"Ven! You're alright!" Aqua exclaimed with a sigh of relief as soon as they touched down. They dismissed their armor and Keyblade Riders. Lightning dismissed Odin who vanished in a burst of pink light.

"What's happened, Aqua?" Terra asked.

"Sora's been captured by the Keyblades. We don't know where he's gone or what's happened to him." Lightning answered. Zidane was standing behind her with his arms crossed, admiring her like one would a piece of art.

"What! Aww man! That's the total opposite of what Master Yen Sid told us to do!" Ven groaned.

"And yet you succeeded in your mission." They heard a voice say. They turned and saw that from within the Inn itself emerged…

"Master Yen Sid!" Riku, Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Kairi exclaimed in unison as they stood at attention.

"What do you mean that we succeeded?" Ven asked curiously.

"The Restoration Committee is currently in the Castle nearby. I shall explain upon our arrival." Master Yen Sid said as he raised his arms. His hat immediately glowed and in a flash of blue light, all of them had vanished from outside the Inn and reappeared in the Castle Postern where Firion, Tina, Cloud, Bartz, Hope, Cecil, Rosa, and Tifa stood waiting.

"Guys, you're back!" Hope exclaimed as he saw them magically appear.

"Any word on Sora?" Cloud asked but the five Keyblade wielders somberly shook their heads.

"Ansem the Wise, Leon, Snow, and the King are waiting for the six of you inside. You should probably get in there." Firion said as Aqua nodded.

"Agreed. Come on guys let's go. Oh, and Firion, can you do us a favor and keep an eye on Zidane here? Keep him away from the women." Aqua said, a hint of a murderous glow appearing as she and the others passed by.

"Mmm. Pervert. I thought I heard a slap a while ago." Terra said with a shrug.

**…**

"Ah, good, you've arrived." Ansem the Wise said as he saw the Five Keyblade wielders and Yen Sid enter his study.

"Glad you guys could make it." Leon said.

"I just wish we could have gotten here sooner." Riku said.

"Sora's going to be alright, Riku. I know he will." Kairi said.

"You're not worried?" Ven asked curiously.

"I am worried. But I'm positive he'll be okay." Kairi replied.

"So what have you found, Ansem?" Riku asked as Ansem pressed a button. Instantly four semi-transparent images of Light, Dark, Ion, and Keep, appeared over the desk.

"These are four of the Keyblades that you've encountered, correct?" Ansem asked as the others nodded.

"Those two are Oathkeeper and Oblivion, Roxas's Keyblades, and those two are the light and dark versions of the Kingdom Key, Sora and King Mickey's Keyblades." Kairi explained.

"I told you they belonged to Roxas." They heard a familiar voice say from behind them. They turned and saw, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed by the door in his Organization XIII attire…

"Axel? When did you get here?" Ven asked as Axel stood up off the wall, his arms still crossed.

"When Leon here used the summon pendant I gave Sora. Got it Memorized?" Axel asked.

"As you were saying, Ansem?" Riku asked.

"When Terra and Riku encountered Oathkeeper and Oblivion, a number of sensors I had installed monitored the battle that took place outside and within the Old Mansion in Twilight Town, allowing me to collect data on them the sensors collected once Riku established the connection with me here. A while ago, the same thing happened only in the Postern of the Castle and with the Kingdom Key's light and dark forms. Master Yen Sid and I have examined the data carefully, and we believe that we have solved the mystery as to how the Keyblades gained human forms." Ansem explained.

"But they need to compare their findings to something first." Leon said, earning confused looks from the Keyblade wielders.

"Compare them to what?" Aqua asked as Ansem cleared his throat.

"Kairi, I need to examine your heart. All you have to do is stand perfectly still and my scanners will do the rest." Ansem said as Kairi sighed.

"Wait…you're going to scan for the X-Blade fragment's right?" Kairi asked as Aqua's eyes widened.

"Oh no, don't tell me that that guy in Mirage Arena managed to purge the fragments from you!" Aqua exclaimed as Kairi lowered her head in shame.

"We are in serious trouble aren't we?" Ven asked with a disheartened expression.

"We might very well be." Aqua sighed.

"On the contrary. This might actually be a good thing." Yen Sid said, earning surprised looks from them.

"How so?" Terra asked.

"We have discovered that the reason the Keyblades have adopted a human form, is because of X-Blade fragments, very much like the ones Kairi once carried in her heart." Yen Sid said.

"Why do I sense Xehanort's hand in all this?" Snow asked.

"No, I get the feeling he didn't have anything to do with this." Aqua replied.

"Kairi, did Xehanort give the Keyblades human forms while he possessed you?" Ven asked. Kairi scratched her head in thought.

"I don't think so." She replied.

"We have reason to believe that this is not Xehanort's doing…at least, not intentionally." Yen Sid said.

"Then how did the Keyblades gain human form?" Aqua asked.

"In reading the reports that Xehanort wrote and having seen the data collected on the four Keyblades from my scanners, we believe that the Keyblades gained human form when Xehanort was defeated three months ago." Ansem explained, earning surprised looked from Aqua, Ven, Terra, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Axel, and Snow.

"What? How?" Ven asked as Aqua's eyes lit up in realization.

"We did it…we're the ones who caused all this." Aqua said in shock.

"What are you talking about Aqua?" Terra asked.

"Think back, guys. Think back to when we defeated Xehanort. We opened the door to Kingdom Hearts, causing the light inside it to overpower Xehanort and force him out of Kairi, destroying the X-Blade in the process. The light from Kingdom Hearts also caused his heart to explode. And if Kairi had fragments of the X-Blade in her heart, then wouldn't Xehanort have fragments in his heart as well?" Aqua asked as they started realizing what had happened.

"So when Xehanort's heart exploded, what happened to the fragments?" Ven asked. They then turned towards Ansem the Wise who pressed a button behind his desk, causing the holograms of the Keyblades to disappear.

"Our scans detected fragments of the X-Blade in each of the Keyblade's human forms. We believe that these fragments came from Xehanort's heart when it was destroyed." Ansem explained.

"But that only explains a few of the Keyblades. Rainfall, Earth Shaker, Wayward Wind, Oathkeeper, Oblivion, Kingdom Key both light and dark, Way to Dawn, and Destiny Place were all the Keyblades present when we fought Xehanort. So how did the Keyblades like, Mark of Mastery, Two Become One, and Darkness Seeker get human forms?" Ven asked.

"We suspect that the fragments entered each of your hearts, and since the fragments are technically of a Keyblade, albeit a very powerful one, they settled in your Keyblades." Ansem explained.

"So the fragments went into the Keyblades that we all carry. And since Sora has access to four Keyblades thanks to Roxas and Xion, then that brought their Keyblades to life as well." Riku said.

"And Master Eraqus's heart rests within my own, sort of like how Ven's heart resided within Sora's. I imagine that's how Mark of Mastery gained a human form." Terra said as Yen Sid nodded in agreement.

"That is possible." Yen Sid said.

"And Darkness Seeker?" Ven asked curiously.

"He was Xehanort's base Keyblade so I can see how he gained a human form." Riku said with a shrug.

"However, blaming yourselves for this is unwise. None of us knew this would happen. We could never have foreseen it. None of us could." Yen Sid said as Aqua shrugged.

"Well I suppose you're right, Master. They were created by accident. However, that still doesn't help us figure out where they're hiding." Aqua said as Yen Sid crossed his arms.

"You already know where the Keyblades reside. The place where countless lifeless keys rest, embedded in the ground as monuments to the great battle that once took place there." Yen Sid said as Aqua, Terra, Ven and Mickey's eyes widened.

"The Keyblade Graveyard." Aqua said breathlessly.

"Where?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Sounds kinda grim." Riku said.

"It's the location where countless Keyblade wielders lost their lives in their quest to forge the X-Blade. It's nothing but a mass grave where the ground is littered with powerless Keyblades that are nothing more than shafts of lifeless metal." Aqua explained.

"Those Keyblades aren't Keyblades anymore, they're tombstones." Terra said as a shiver ran down his spine at the memories of that place.

"It's where Vanitas forced me to forge the X-Blade and where Xehanort possessed Terra." Ven added, holding himself in worry.

"Sounds like the place has some bad memories for you guys, huh?" Riku asked as Aqua, Ven, and Terra each nodded silently.

"You don't know the half of it." Aqua muttered.

"So then, if we know where they're hiding, then what are we waiting for? Let's go rescue Sora!" Kairi exclaimed excitedly.

"We can't be too hasty. The Keyblades are probably waiting for us. They'll be expecting us to come for him." Terra said as Aqua nodded.

"But we can't just leave Sora with them, can we?" Aqua asked, although her question was more of a statement.

"But they've also got the Unversed on their side, so there could be an army waiting for us." Ven added.

"How are they able to control the Unversed anyway?" Riku asked curiously.

"I might have an answer to that." Yen Sid said, catching their attention.

"What is it, Master?" Aqua asked curiously.

"The Unversed were created as a result of one heart being separated into two, the heart of pure light and the heart of pure darkness. When the X-Blade was forged, Kairi and Xehanort's hearts, for a while, became one heart. When Xehanort's heart was forced from Kairi's, it separated this heart into two, which ended in the creation of the Keyblade's human forms. However, there was one Keyblade that has of yet to be seen but there has been mention of it repeatedly by these rebellious Keyblades. They speak of a Master, a Master of Keyblades, one that seems to be both male and female, bound together as one being like the two hearts that forged them." Yen Sid explained, causing everyone's eyes to widen.

"**WHAT?" **They asked in unison.

"You mean, the Master they talk about is really the X-Blade in human form?" Ven asked in shock as Yen Sid nodded.

"Yes. The X-Blade incarnate. It is my theory that the X-Blade is formed from the remnants of only one of the hearts that forged them. Since Kairi's heart was not lost, then I believe that they are the remnants of a heart of pure Darkness." Yen Sid explained.

"Xehanort. His heart is the one they were born from." Terra said, clinching his fists down at his side.

"So how does that explain how they're able to command the Unversed?" Riku asked.

"Think about what Master Yen Sid just said about how the Unversed were made. They are made when the light and darkness of a person's heart is forcefully separated. Master Yen Sid just said that for the time that Kairi and Xehanort's hearts were combined to create the X-Blade, their hearts became one for that time. So when their two hearts were separated, the X-Blade's human forms, being the remnants of the darkness of that single heart, gained the ability to create and control the Unversed." Aqua explained.

"So defeating the X-Blade's human form will also stop the Unversed?" Leon asked.

"We believe so. However, defeating the X-Blade's going to be difficult. It's the most powerful Keyblade in existence." Terra replied.

"There may be a way to weaken them even more than they are already." Ansem said, earning confused looks.

"What do you mean? Aren't they at full strength?" Aqua asked.

"We suspect that the X-Blade's human form is also a fragmented form. In essence, they were created at only half the strength of the completed X-Blade. Possibly less than half strength since their fragments went into creating the human formed Keyblades. The rest of the fragments were within Kairi's heart. We suspect that every time one of the fragments is purged, they become more and more unstable." Ansem explained.

"But the fragments in my heart were purged. Wouldn't that mean the X-Blade is even weaker now?" Kairi asked.

"Possibly." Ansem replied.

"But what about purging the rest of the fragments?" Ven asked.

"That will be the hard part. In order to purge the rest of the fragments, every last one of the Keyblade's human forms must be defeated. Defeating them will purge the X-Blade fragments from them, restoring them to their original Keyblade form and weakening the X-Blade's human form." Yen Sid explained.

"So we have to defeat our Keyblades in battle. (Sigh) Plus we have to deal with an army of Unversed too." Aqua said.

"We'd need an army of our own to back us up." Ven said.

"I'm afraid I don't have an army, fellas. Donald, Goofy, and I are the only ones from Disney Castle who can fight." Mickey said before they heard the sound of someone cracking their knuckles.

"Then I'd say your hero has arrived." Snow said with a grin. (Background music cue (Optional): Snow's Theme – Final Fantasy XIII OST)

"Snow? You're helping us?" Riku asked surprised.

"Not just him. The Restoration Committee too." Leon said as he drew his gunblade.

"Sora's not just one friend of mine. He's three in one. Roxas, Xion…they're all friends of mine, and I'll fight to protect them. Got it Memorized?" Axel asked with a grin, summoning his chakrams.

"Allow the Restoration Committee to back you up. We'll hold off the Unversed for you, giving you room to deal with the Keyblades." Leon said, resting his gunblade on his shoulder.

"Are you sure they're willing to help?" Terra asked.

"You have to ask?" They turned and saw Lightning, Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, Cecil, Firion, Tina, Bartz, Rosa, Zidane, Cid, Hope, Shantotto, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Donald, and Goofy all standing in the doorway of the study or out in the hall.

"We're helping you to rescue Sora. Not just because he's a Keyblade Master or because it's the right thing to do, but because he's our friend as well." Cloud said, earning nods of agreement.

"Are you guys sure you can handle it?" Ven asked curiously.

"It's not a matter of can or can't. There are some things in life that you just do." Lightning said, earning more nods of agreement.

"Looks like we have an army now." Kairi said with a Sora-like smile.

"It appears that way." Aqua said with a smile and a nod.

"I'd suggest taking the night to relax and prepare yourselves for the battle to come. Deal with anything that needs to be taken care of tonight and be ready to fight in the morning." Yen Sid instructed as the others nodded. Kairi and Axel both thought of something, it was the same thing but neither of them knew it.

"Will do, Master. Come on, let's go get ready." Aqua said as the room began emptying out. As she walked, Kairi reached into her pocket and pulled out the lucky charm that Sora had made her.

"Sora…we're coming for you."

* * *

**End Chapter 31.**

A/N: Okay, rant time. There are moments when I feel like the child who got one thing that's cool but then someone else gets the exact same thing only bigger and better. What I'm talking about of course is the fact that Japan gets the Birth By Sleep Final Mix and everyone else…DOESN'T! There's a new, secret, ending to BBS! Plus they also gave Master Eraqus's Keyblade a name! Master Keeper! (Please note that for the sake of in-story continuity, Mark of Mastery's name will NOT be changed.) Plus they added three new Mirage Arena matches. It's so unfair to us fans that only one country gets the cooler version of the game and we don't. I acknowledge that Square Enix is Japan based but come on, show some consideration to the rest of your fans here! I'm pretty sure most of us would be willing to shell out another X amount of dollars for the Final Mix editions of a game that is pure awesome, am I right? There, rant over. You can go and enjoy the story now.


	32. Just Forget About Love

Riku and Terra were walking down the halls of the castle in Radiant Garden, silently walking towards the exit from having just finished talking with Cecil and Rosa, when they spotted Kairi and Axel talking with each other on one of the balconies that overlooked the city.

"Hey." Riku said as they approached, catching the former Nobody and the Princess of Heart's attention.

"Yo Riku, Terra. You guys ready for the big fight in the morning?" Axel asked with his arms crossed.

"We'll be ready. Don't worry about us. Our hearts, minds, and bodies will be ready for the battle tomorrow." Riku said, earning a nod from Terra.

"Yeah. Having all three of those things focused and ready is important for something like this." Terra added.

"Well from what Kairi tells me, there're probably two of you that won't have either their hearts or minds ready by the morning." Axel said, earning curious expressions from Riku and Terra.

"What do you mean?" Terra asked.

"Guys, Ven and Aqua are in a bit of a bind. Aqua doesn't know whether or not Ven still loves her." Kairi said.

"And it seems that Ven doesn't know if Aqua still loves him too." Axel added.

"What gave you that impression?" Riku asked curiously.

"Sora brought Ven over to see Hayner, Pence, Olette, and I to see if we could cheer him up on the subject." Axel replied.

"And Aqua told me that she doubted Ven's feelings towards her while we were in the Land of Departure." Kairi added.

"But do you know if they love each other?" Terra asked.

"Aqua still loves Ven." Kairi said as Axel grinned.

"And Ven still loves Aqua. So it's pretty obvious that there's just a lack of communication between them." Axel said, earning curious looks from the three of them.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked worriedly.

"Because it strikes me as kinda odd for you to understand relationships and all when you've never been in one to begin with." Riku said, crossing his arms.

"Okay, first off, that's cold bro. Second, I happened to have had a lot of time on my hands in the Organization so I spent most of that time reading self-help relationship books." Axel replied, crossing his arms.

"Well whaddya know. He's literate after all." Terra said, earning a stifled laugh from Riku and Kairi.

"Don't make me burn you." Axel growled.

"Anyway, what are we going to do about Aqua and Ven?" Kairi asked as Terra and Riku pondered.

"Let me give it a shot. I know what it took to try and get you and Sora together, and Sora was just nervous. Aqua and Ven are a different issue in that they're aware of the other's feelings but they don't know how if those feelings still exist. What we need to do is, try and get them to open up to each other." Riku said as Terra sighed.

"Good luck. Aqua's probably going to play the no-dating-for-master-and-apprentice card and she's kinda stubborn on that rule." Terra said as Riku cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah well I haven't taken a crack at it yet. My plan is to simply agree with her and tell her to continue that trend. Then her heart will do the rest." Riku said with a smirk.

"Oh, reverse psychology. Good idea." Axel said, earning the curious looks again.

"What?"

* * *

**Later…**

Aqua was sitting in a room in Tifa's Seventh Heaven that overlooked the marketplace. She was sitting in a corner of the room, her back turned to the window, reading from Eraqus's book when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Aqua said, not looking up from the book.

"Hey." Riku said as he walked in.

"Riku. What are you doing here?" Aqua asked curiously, lowering the book.

"I came to check on you. I hear that you and Ven are having problems." Riku said, causing Aqua to sigh.

"We're not having problems. We just…we can't express our feelings while I'm his Master and he's my apprentice. It would just be unethical of us to do so." Aqua said as Riku crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I heard. Well I came by to tell you…that I agree with you one hundred percent." Riku said with a smile and a nod, earning a confused look from Aqua.

"Y-you are?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure. Terra's with you too." Riku replied.

"But, I thought you would be trying to get Ven and I together like you did Sora and Kairi." Aqua said as Riku chuckled.

"Those two didn't even know they loved each other and you know what, I'm kinda sorry I did it. I mean now I have to see those two act all lovey-dovey whenever they're together. Makes me want to gag. At least you and Ven don't have to worry about that now." Riku said, causing Aqua to look away with a stunned expression.

"I-…I didn't realize…" Aqua said as Riku put his hand on her shoulder.

"Eh trust me; you're better off without love." Riku said. (Music Cue: Just Forget About Love – Disney's Aladdin, Return of Jafar)

"Really?" Aqua asked before Riku sang…

"_Forget about that guy.  
Forget about the way you fell into his eyes.  
Forget about his charms.  
Forget about the way he held you in his arms."_

Aqua looked at him curiously as he continued singing…

"_Walking on air's obnoxious.  
The thrills,  
the chills,  
will make you nauseous,  
and you'll never get enough.  
Just forget about love!"_

He then pulled her out of the chair as he sang…

"_Forget about romance.  
Forget about the way your heart begins to dance.  
Then you feel the blush,  
when he's spouting out some sentimental mush."_

He then spun her around towards the window overlooking the marketplace where she saw Ven sitting on the railing overlooking the market pit, hunched over as if depressed as he sang…

_"Love really is revolting!  
It's even worse than if he's flaking.  
Enough of this fluff!  
Just forget about love!"_

Aqua then interrupted, singing…

"_I had almost forgotten the way it felt,  
when he held out his hand for mine.  
My heart all a-flutter."_

"Oh, how I shudder." Riku shuddered. Aqua then sang, holding herself with a dreamy expression…

"_The first time we kissed."_

Then Riku sang…

"_It won't be missed!  
Forget about his touch."_

But Aqua rebuffed him with a dreamy smile as she headed for the door, singing…

"_I can't forget about his touch."_

Then Riku continued…

"_In the scheme of things,  
It doesn't matter much."_

But again, Aqua rebuffed him as she literally skipped out into the hallway with Riku chasing after her…

"_It matters so much."_

Then Riku sang…

"_You're better on your own.  
A meal becomes a banquet,  
when you eat alone."_

Then they both sang as they walked down the stairs…

"_Love's filled with compromises."_

Then Riku sang…

"_And don't you hate those big surprises?"_

As Aqua replied with a dreamy expression as they headed for the front door…

"_A cozy rendezvous."_

"Oh please." Riku groaned as they walked outside, Aqua singing…

"_Candlelight for two."_

"Oh geez!" Riku groaned again as they hurried up the stairs to the Marketplace, Aqua singing…

"_Look you're calling my bluff!  
I can't forget about love!"_

They then reached the marketplace, Ven turning and noticing their arrival and quickly getting up off the railing as Aqua approached with a joyful smile on her face…

"Aqua? What is it? Are you al-…" Ven said but Aqua shushed him by placing her right index finger gently on his lips before singing…

"_I can't forget about my heart."_

Then Ven caught on and sang…

"_I can't forget about my heart."_

As Aqua sang, leading him by the hand around the edge of the pit towards the stairs…

"_And how it felt  
to fall for you right from the start."_

Then Ven replied…

"_I'm still falling."_

Then Aqua sang as they walked down the stairs into the Market pit…

"_Whatever we may do."_

And Ven replied…

"_Whatever we may do."_

Then Aqua sang…

"_You are here for me,  
and I'll be there for you."_

Then they both sang as they started dancing, hand in hand together…

"_I'll be there to wish, to want, to wander.  
To find the sun,  
through rain and thunder."_

Then Ven sang as he dipped her, her arms around his neck…

"_A cozy rendezvous."_

Aqua's eyes lit up as she replied…

"_Yes, please!"_

Then he sang as he pulled her back onto her feet…

"_Candlelight for two."_

Then they heard Riku groan. They looked up to see him leaning against the railing around the market pit with Terra over his shoulder with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. Axel and Kairi were to Riku's left, smiling down at them as Riku groaned…

"_Oh, geez!  
Enough is enough!"_

Ven and Aqua simply giggled before turning towards each other and singing together…

"_We can't forget about love!"_

And at that, they kissed for the first time in three months. (End music). When the kiss ended they looked up at their friends up on the edge surrounding the market pit.

"Riku, you did this deliberately didn't you?" Aqua asked as Riku shrugged with an innocent grin.

"Guilty as charged. Although to be fair, Axel, Kairi, and Terra were in on the plan the whole time." Riku replied.

"Hope you're not mad." Kairi said as Aqua and Ven looked at each other with a smile before looking back up at them and shaking their heads.

"Far from it. We're thankful." Ven said as Axel chuckled.

"It'd never have worked out between us, darling. I'm sorry." Axel said in mock-sadness to Aqua who rolled her eyes while shaking her head but with a smile.

"I just wish that Sora were here to see this though. He'd be happy." Ven said as Aqua nodded.

"That he would be." Aqua said with a sigh.

"I know! Starting the second this mess is over, we're going to form a new Restoration Committee." Kairi declared, earning curious looks from those around her.

"What sort of Restoration Committee are we talking about here?" Terra asked as Aqua and Ven quickly leapt up and over the railing onto the edge with them.

"The Terra and Riku Love Life Restoration Committee!" Kairi declared happily, earning a giggle from Aqua and stifled laughter from Ven and Axel.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. They could use a charge to their love life." Aqua sniggered.

"Oi! Don't say it that way! It'll make people think that Riku and I are-…" Terra yelled but was interrupted by Riku who groaned…

"GROSS!"

"Huh? I don't get it." Kairi said, genuinely confused.

"Oh, Kairi we have something to talk about, girl-to-girl." Aqua chuckled as she pulled the Princess of Heart off towards the inn.

"Oh I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation." Axel chuckled.

"Uh, if Aqua caught you, then she's smash you like a fly on the wall." Ven said as Axel tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Eh, true. Hadn't thought of that." Axel said.

"Are you two going to be alright?" Ven asked the two girlfriend-less Keyblade wielders.

"Something about that committee name just grates on me." Riku mumbled as he trudged towards the Inn. Terra decided to head for the castle, leaving Ven and Axel behind.

"So…looks like tomorrow's going to be an interesting day, huh?" Axel asked as Ven nodded and looked up towards the sky.

"Yeah. It sure is." He said before he noticed something peculiar.

"Hey…what's that?" he asked as he pointed into the sky. Axel followed where he was pointing and much to his surprise there was a star twinkling brightly in the sky overhead. Then Ven's eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"No! No it can't be! How is that possible?" Ven exclaimed in shock.

"What, what is it?" Axel asked as Ven's shocked expression shifted into a grin.

"It's…it's the Destiny Islands…they're back!"

* * *

**End Chapter 32.**

The song above was a slightly altered version of "Just Forget About Love" from Disney's Aladdin – Return of Jafar.

A/N: As some of you may know, the official soundtrack to Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, and Re:Coded was released recently. I would like to go ahead and give you all a fair word of warning, that the battle music from those tracks will be making an appearance in the near future in this story. (Because I found it online tee-hee)


	33. Betrayal

In the mysterious castle, the Master was looking at Sora curiously as both Kai (the male) and Blade (the female) circled around him, not taking their eyes off of him. Sora followed their gaze occasionally but couldn't tell why they were looking at him. Finally he stopped looking at them and started looking around the room. He then spotted something curious. It was a simple pedestal with a book mounted atop it with a lock on it like Eraqus's book.

"Hey, what's that?" Sora asked. Blade glanced over at the pedestal while Kai kept an eye on him.

"Oh, that. Nothing you need concern yourself about." Blade replied before she continued circling him.

"Don't those chains of yours get tangled as you guys keep walking around me?" Sora asked.

"**Silence, fool."** The Master snapped. They then heard the sound of a door opening. They all turned and saw Light walking into the room with a determined expression.

"**Light, we told you to wait until you were summoned." **The Master said as they turned towards the Keyblade.

"Master, I ask forgiveness for my intrusion, but I ask for permission to speak. I wish to ask questions of my Heart-Bound." Light said as the Master glanced at each other and sighed in exasperation.

"**Very well. Ask what you wish."** They said as they backed up a little, placing Sora between them and Light.

"Kingdom Key." Sora said softly.

"Heart-Bound Master Sora. There are questions that only you can answer." Light said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Sora replied, glancing over his shoulder. The Master glared at him before sending a quick jolt of electricity along the chains, shocking him.

"AUGH!" Sora grunted as he slumped forward, breathing heavily.

"**Insolence."** The Master hissed.

"Forgive me, Master Sora, I did not intend for that to happen. My first question. During our battle in Radiant Garden…you said that we didn't have to fight. Why did you say that?" Light asked.

"Because I didn't see a reason why we needed to. I've got nothing against you, Kingdom Key. I never have. Just because you're fighting for the wrong side, doesn't mean that I have a grudge against you." Sora replied.

"And now that you've been captured?" Light asked as Sora shrugged to the best of his ability.

"I still don't have anything against you. You and I, we've been a great team. I've always been able to count on you every time we've gotten into a bind." Sora said as Light's eyes widened in surprise.

"You've…you've counted on me?" Light asked as Sora nodded.

"Yeah. Without you, I'm just a regular kid without anything special. I wasn't even supposed to have you, you know. I was never supposed to have been able to wield a Keyblade. Terra had chosen Riku, Kairi got a Keyblade on her own with a little help from Aqua, and I was simply ignored. Then Ven came along and gave me the power to wield a Keyblade. That's when you chose me to be your wielder. Don't you remember?" Sora asked as Light looked down in thought. Sora suddenly screamed in pain as volts of electricity ran through him for a second. The Master was glaring at him impatiently with their arms crossed.

"Master! Please! Let him speak!" Light pleaded.

"**He speaks lies to you, Light. Do not listen. We hear his thoughts and they are like venom."** The Master said.

"They're wrong, Key! (Grunt) I'm not lying! (grunt) I'm telling you the truth!" Sora grunted before getting shocked again.

"**SILENCE!" **the Master ordered angrily. Before Light, Sora, or the Master could say anything more however…

"YAH-HOO! Crap! That was loud!" They all turned and saw Wind standing by the podium with the book in hand and covering his mouth. Outside the doors, Rain face palmed in disbelief.

"What an idiot!" Rain whispered tersely. The Master glared angrily at Wind.

"**Way-WARD ****WIND****!"** the Master yelled, shaking the building with their voice.

"Wind! The-book! Open-it-now!" They looked and saw Dawn standing in the doorway of the main entrance, his wings opened and his hands near his holsters.

"**Open that book, Wayward, and you'll meet the same fate as your brother!" **The Master threatened as a pair chains rose up from the shadows with jagged and serrated sword blades at the end of them.

"My…my brother?" Wind asked curiously.

"Gear, the Treason Blade!" Dawn answered. Wind froze in his spot, looking towards Light to his right, and also at Des who was in the doorway to the right. They both nodded. He then looked to the left at the doorway to the courtyard where Ion and Keep stood waiting, Ion nodding frantically while Keep held up a sign over her head that read, "OPEN IT!" in big red letters. He then looked at the Master, who was glaring at him angrily, the two jagged blades floating in midair just waiting for an excuse to strike. Wind sighed in defeat as he looked at the book, glancing at the lock.

"I can't open it anyway." Wind said as the Master smiled.

"Then…let…ME!" Suddenly a blue beam of light struck the lock on the book, causing it to fly out of Wind's hands and into the air. They watched with shock as the book flew across the room before landing on the ground. But to their surprise, instead of opening, it became powder with a clap of thunder and a flash of light. They all turned to see Sora, clutching his Keyblade in his hand, the Keyblade pointed towards Wind with a weak smile on his face. They turned back and saw the remnants of the book start to glow with a pink aura. Suddenly from the pile of dust rose a large glowing pink heart that disappeared with a flash of light, which made everyone's mouths drop open in awe and disbelief.

"That's…that's! That's the heart of the Destiny Islands!" Light exclaimed before turning towards the Master who was now seething with rage.

"If that's the heart to the Destiny Islands…then that means…" Ion said as an expression realization swept his face.

"…that mean's the Master is the one responsible for the Destiny Islands' fall into darkness." Dawn said in shock.

"Not only that, but the Master has been lying to us all along!" Rain said with narrowed eyes as a blade of ice formed from her right sleeve. Suddenly Sora started screaming in pain as the Master started hitting him with volts of electricity without stopping.

"**You traitors!" **The Master roared over Sora's cries of agony.

"We are not the ones who have betrayed you! You are the ones who betrayed us!" Light exclaimed, pointing at them angrily before summoning his sword and shield. The Master snarled at him, a glow of black and purple energy appearing around them while trails of darkness started rising from their back and shoulders. They moved the now unconscious Sora between them, stopping the poor boy's torture, and using him as a human shield.

"**You dare to challenge US! The X-Blade incarnate!" **The Master yelled.

"You have been deceiving us all this entire time! Give us a reason we shouldn't strike you down!" Light said challengingly. The Master simply grinned and started laughing.

"**You fool. You cannot harm us. We are immortal compared to all of you. As long as a single one of you survives, then so do we." **The Master said with a malicious chuckle as countless bladed chains, like the ones that had been aimed at Wind, appeared from the shadows behind them. Light and Wind, who was now brandishing his shuriken, stood ready for anything. Dawn had his guns drawn and aimed at the master.

"What do we do now, Ion?" Keep whispered fearfully to her brother.

"I dunno, Keep. But we've got to think of something." Ion whispered back. He then spotted Des had disappeared from the doorway across from his.

"**Well? It's your move, Light. Either attack and die, or surrender and live. Your choice. Please be warned that your choice will also determine the fate of your friends, Wind and Dawn, as well as your beloved Heart-Bound here. There is no third option." **The Master said with a grin as they held Sora closer to Light as if dangling a line of bait on a fishing line.

"Wrong! There's always a third CHOICE!" they heard Des shout. Suddenly a spinning pink glowing circular object flew in and cut through the chains attached to Sora, causing him to fall free. The remaining chains around him dissolved into black smoke. It was Des's scythe.

"WIND!" Light shouted. Wind didn't miss a beat. He quickly slid in and grabbed Sora, still in midair, and landed on his shuriken as it spun quickly, carrying the two of them off towards the main entrance.

"**Get BACK ****HERE****!"** the Master roared as the bladed chains launched towards Wind as he fled with Sora over his shoulder. Luckily for him however…

"SHINE!" Light exclaimed as he leapt in the path of the chains, his shield and sword pressed together towards the blades, creating a shield of light that blasted the chains, forcing them to recoil like injured snakes. However, one chain with a bola on the end came around towards him. Light quickly raised his shield in time but was knocked to the ground. A chain with a hook on the end flew in and ensnared him by the leg, dragging him towards the master who had a single bladed chain hovering between them, like a scorpions tail ready to deal a fatal blow.

"**This is going to hurt you a lot more than it will us!" **the Master growled as Light braced himself for an attack. The bladed chain reared back before launching towards him but the most unexpected thing happened…

"LIGHT!"

Faster than he could blink, Des had leapt up from the ground between him and the master, facing towards him, and clutching her hand scythes in both hands, throwing one down to cut the chain around Light's leg, causing it to burst into smoke. She then grimaced in pain as the bladed chain stabbed her in the back, causing darkness energy to burst out through her stomach.

"Light." She said weakly as she fell to the floor.

"DES!" Light exclaimed in shock and horror. He quickly swung his blade and cut through the bladed chain attached to her back, freeing her. The Master was reared back for another attack but had to shield themselves from a sudden volley of small bolts of light magic. Dawn then appeared flying overhead, diving in with his two handguns firing at the Master. Light quickly scooped up Des and started carrying her bridal style as he ran towards the main entrance. Bladed chains suddenly flew at them but Keep quickly flew in and effortlessly sliced through the chains with Ion's ninjato form as they made for the front entrance where Rain and Wind with the unconscious Sora, stood waiting for them, motioning for them to hurry. They finally made it out the front doors to the main hall and they all turned and ran towards the front gates which were being slowly closed.

"We're not gonna make it!" Rain exclaimed.

"Yes we are!" Dawn shouted as he aimed his guns at a pair of chains attached to the mechanisms that allowed the front gates to open and close on their own. With one shot, the chains snapped, dissolving like smoke causing the gate to stop closing. An enraged roar from the main hall was heard when the chains were broken. Finally they made it out of the castle grounds but they didn't stop running. Light however slid to a halt and turned to look up towards the castle walls. He saw Dark standing at the top, staring at him.

"Farewell…brother." Light said before turning and continuing their run away from the castle.

* * *

**Later that night…**

The Keyblade Rebels had stopped in the, surprisingly empty, Twister Trench in order to rest from their ordeal.

"Any sign of pursuit?" Rain asked as they all caught their breath.

"None. I see nothing behind us but dust." Dawn replied as he folded his wings together like he was used to. Wind was still holding Sora over his shoulder and was looking around carefully.

"Hey, does anyone happen to have a blanket or something I can set this guy down on?" Wind asked. Ion, now in his human form, carrying the sleeping Keep on his back, reached for the hood around his head and pulled it off, revealing his hair and blindfold underneath before handing the hood to Wind.

"Here, use this." Ion said as he balled it up and set it on the ground. Wind set Sora down, resting his head on the makeshift pillow.

"Rain, would you unclip my cape from my back for me?" Light asked as Rain complied, unclipping his cape from the front first and then removing it from behind.

"What do you want me to do with it?" Rain asked.

"Roll it up. I want to use it as a pillow for Des." Rain didn't even hesitate and rolled up the cape into a cylinder before laying it on the ground against the inside crux of the large rock formation in the middle of the trench. Light then carefully laid Des down on the ground, resting her head on the pillow. She groaned in pain as she moved.

"How bad is it?" Light asked as he removed his helmet and set it on the ground, revealing his messy white-blue hair.

"It went through me…I can still feel the sting of their blade." Des said as she clutched her wound.

"Let me see it, perhaps I can help." Rain said as she moved to try and tend to the wound but Des raised her hand, motioning not to.

"It won't make any difference, Rain…It's too late for me." Des said, earning hurt looks from her fellow Keyblades.

"No, Des. Say it ain't so!" Wind said in shock.

"I'm afraid so. But…I don't feel any sadness…I feel like I'm finally becoming whole again. Kairi…I can almost see her." Des said as she looked up at the stars where Radiant Garden twinkled brightly.

"Is that what will become of us, when we die? Will we return to our original forms?" Rain asked as Des chuckled softly.

"Silly Rain…I could have told you that all along." Des said with a smile. They then noticed that the color in her clothes had slightly faded to brown and the flowers were wilting. The butterflies were still on her but their wings were moving slightly as if they were entertaining thoughts of flying away.

"Des…" Light said, stopping before he could say anything. He then felt Des put a hand on his arm.

"Light…let me say something. I want to thank you. Thank you for being there and at least letting me feel love for the first time in my short life in this form. We might not have been meant to be together, but it doesn't matter to me anymore. I had a chance to love you, Light…and I still do, whether you feel the same way or not." Des said with a smile as a tear ran down her cheek. Light grasped her hand as he looked into her eyes.

"Then…I should thank you for the same thing." Light said, making Des's eyes widen in surprise.

"Light?" Des asked.

"I love you too, Des…since the moment I laid eyes on you. I usually keep my emotions in check. I force myself to wear this...this…mask that hides my emotion but within my heart, my love for you burns brighter than the sun." Light said as Des smiled but then she looked away sadly.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Light. Forcing you into this world of Darkness." Des said sadly. (Music Cue: If I Never Knew You – Pocahontas. Note: This is from the extended version)

"Des, look at me. I would rather have never been given this form, than live one hundred years without ever knowing you." Light said as she looked up at him. Light then started singing softly…

"_If I never knew you,  
if I never felt this love,  
I would have no inkling of  
how precious life can be."_

The other Keyblades watched silently from nearby, somber expressions each, as Light continued singing…

"_If I never held you,  
I would never have a clue,  
how at last I'd find in you,  
the missing part of me."_

Des smiled up at him, tears forming in her eyes as Light continued…

"_In these worlds so full of fear,  
full of rage and lies,  
I can see the truth so clear,  
in your eyes,  
so dry your eyes." _

He dried her eyes gently with his left hand while still holding her right hand with his right while singing…

"_And I'm so grateful to you,  
I'd have lived my whole life through,  
lost forever,  
if I never knew you."_

Then Des started singing with a sad smile…

"_I thought our love would be so beautiful.  
Somehow we'd make the whole worlds bright.  
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong,  
all they'd leave us were these whispers in the night.  
But still my heart is saying we were right."_

Then Light started singing as Des replied, the color in her clothing starting to fade to brown more quickly and the butterflies fluttering off…

Light: _"For if I never knew you…"_  
Des: _"There's no moment I regret…"_  
Light: _"…if I never knew this love…"_  
Des: _"…since the moment that we met…"_  
Light: _"…I would have no inkling of…"_  
Des: _"…if our time has gone too fast…"_  
Light: _"…how precious life can be."_  
Des: _"…I've lived at last."_

"Light…" Des said with a weak voice, knowing it would be over for her soon.

"Don't leave us Des. We can still be together." Light said as Des smiled sadly, an aura of light starting to appear around her and small sparks of light starting to float up from her.

"And we will…so long as Sora and Kairi are together…then we will be together as well." Des said as she leaned forward and Light leaned down for a kiss but before their lips could meet, her body was enveloped in white light before it dissipated into countless tiny sparks of white light. They all watched the sparks of light as they drifted slowly upwards towards the sky, illuminating the darkened canyon, leaving nothing of her behind. Light stood up, watching the lights until they disappeared into the black sky above before he sang softly…

"_And I'm so grateful to you,  
I'd have lived my whole life through,  
empty as the sky,  
never knowing why,  
lost forever,  
if I never knew you."_

(End Music)

* * *

**Back at the Castle…**

"**We have been betrayed. Our numbers have been cut in half! Only once before were we betrayed, and Gear's treason was dealt with swiftly. However, we are now left with no choice but to face the Heart-Bound with our full strength." **The Master said from the shadows as Dark, Beco, Seeker, Mark, and Sha stood before them. Only their eyes could be seen again for some reason.

"We can still call upon the Unversed to do some of the fighting for us, correct?" Sha asked.

"Let us not forget him." Mark said, looking over his shoulder at Pete who stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

"If you're looking for some extra firepower, I have just the man for the job!" Pete said as a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

"Ah, of course. He will do nicely." Beco said with an aroused expression.

"I am not here to satisfy the appetites of a puppet such as you. I am only interested in one thing alone…Cloud." Sephiroth said.

"**And you shall have him. He will come to you eventually, Sephiroth. You have our word on that." **The Master said.

"And what of the Heart-bound?" Dark asked.

"**They will fall before our might. They cannot withstand our power!" **the Master declared.

"But, Master, what of the traitors?" Seeker asked curiously.

"**Their punishment shall be carried out first. Capture them, alive, and bring them back here. That is your first task."** The Master said before turning to look at Dark.

"**Dark…come forward." **The Master said as Dark complied and knelt before them.

"What do you wish of me, Master?" Dark asked humbly.

"**Dark, your brother, Light has failed us. He is your brother no more. Therefore we bestow upon you a title most worthy of your skills. You shall be our champion. This title is befitting a proper name. Henceforth we restore your original name unto you. You may arise…" **The Master said as Dark climbed to his feet, turned towards the front doors with his massive sword summoned as the Master said his name for the first time in three months…

"**...Arise…"**

"…**Garland!"**

* * *

**End Chapter 33.**

The song above was an altered version of "If I Never Knew You" from Disney's Pocahontas. The song was never added to the original movie but a credits version remained until they released the extended edition of the movie.

I'd like to point out (since no one seems to have made the connection) that I've based Darkness Seeker off of the "Unknown/?" character from Birth By Sleep. He's an optional boss, only accessible after defeating Vanitas's Remnant in the Wastelands of the Keyblade Graveyard. "Unknown/?" is found in the Land of Departure after said Remnant's defeat.


	34. The Long March

It was dawn in Radiant Garden and the Restoration Committee had gathered in the Postern of the Castle, all rested up and ready for war. Those gathered were Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Shantotto, Lighting, Hope, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Bartz, Firion, Tina, Tifa, Cloud, Cecil, Rosa, Snow, Zidane, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and of course Aqua, Terra, Ven, Riku, and Kairi. Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise stood atop the cliff overlooking the Postern.

"Master Aqua, perhaps you should give a speech before we leave." Aerith suggested. The suggestion made Aqua turn white as a sheet.

"M-m-me, give a speech?" she asked nervously.

"Uh, public speaking isn't one of Aqua's strong points." Ven said as Terra nodded and fished into his pocket for something.

"Unless you want to see her wet her pants, like in this photo here, then by all means have her-." "Give me that!" Aqua growled as she snatched the photo out of Terra's hand and tore it to pieces.

"Sad part is that we have copies of all those photos." Riku whispered into Yuffie's ear, causing her to giggle.

"So, does anyone want to give a speech?" Aerith asked curiously. Cecil cleared his throat and leapt up onto the side of the cliff where Ansem and Yen Sid stood.

"People! Please! Hear me!" Cecil said, trying to gain everyone's attention but failing spectacularly at it. Finally Cid sighed and in a single jump, landed safely on the top of the cliff wall with a spear in hand.

"Alright, you've had your chance, blue-blood, now it's my turn." Cid said as he clapped Cecil on the shoulder. Cecil dejectedly hopped off the side and rejoined the crowd. Cid took the stalk of wheat out of his mouth and put his fingers to his lips before making a shrill whistle, silencing everyone.

"Alright listen up, 'cause I'm just going to say this once! If any one of you get killed by those Unversed punks I'll drag you back from the underworld and kill ya again! You really wanna tick off those guys then why not try stayin' alive! That's what this is all about! If you live everyone behind you lives if you die they die…YOU GOT THAT? Now let's go kick some DARKNESS BUTT!" Cid shouted, earning a unison cheer from the crowd. Cid grinned as he leapt down and joined the crowd. He then turned to Cecil with a grin.

"All in a day's work." He chuckled as he put the stalk of wheat in his mouth again.

"Master Yen Sid! We're ready!" Aqua shouted. Master Yen Sid nodded and turned towards the walkway that led up to the Postern. He stretched out his hands, causing his hat to glow with a blue aura for a moment before a large imploding portal opened up, showing the barren landscape of the Keyblade Graveyard Badlands inside it.

"Alright everyone! Stay close and don't get lost!" Aqua shouted as they ran for the portal, passing through in a matter of seconds. Once on the other side, the portal closed behind them.

"Well, we're here. So where're the bad guys?" Bartz asked as they looked around.

"My guess, the giant castle in the distance over there." Snow said, pointing over the cliff ledge towards a tall brown castle barely visible from where they were.

"Oh great! We got transported all the way out here! How are we supposed to get there now?" Zidane asked.

"We take the easiest way." Aqua said, gaining everyone's attention.

"What way is that?" Hope asked.

"We walk." Kairi replied with a smile as she, Aqua, Terra, Riku, Ven, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy turned and started walking into the nearby canyon. The others shrugged and started following along. After what seemed like an hour of walking, they were finally on the right road towards the castle. As they walked, Ven happened to look up and spot a cliff ledge that seemed familiar.

"Hey, Aqua, does that cliff look familiar to you?" Ven asked.

"How does one cliff look any different from the others?" Hope asked curiously.

"It's the cliff where we arrived before we faced Xehanort eleven years ago." Aqua said as they saw a stone ramp that ran along the side the cliff face, up towards the exact spot at the top that Aqua had mentioned. As they approached the ramp, they spotted something carved into the wall along the cliff face.

"Hey, what's this?" Tina asked as she ran a hand over it.

"It looks valuable." Paine said as she and the Gullwings floated up to the wall.

"It's…it's us. Ven, Me, Terra, Mickey…it's our story of what happened here." Aqua said in awe as she ran a hand over the stone carving of her. It was actually a perfect likeness. The carving was of her, Terra, and Ven, with Mickey down front in the center. Further along up the ramp, the story unfolded, starting with the Terra, Aqua, and Ven's arrival, their confrontation with Xehanort and Vanitas, Aqua's battle with Braig, Ven's battle with Vanitas, Aqua and Mickey's fight to stop the Vanitas possessed Ven wielding the X-Blade, Terra's battle with Xehanort, his Lingering Sentiment's battle with Xehanort in Terra's body, and ending with a slumbering Ven, a still possessed Terra, and what a carving of Aqua walking alone in the middle of a hollowed out background.

"I don't understand…who carved all this?" Riku asked.

"My Lingering Sentiment had a lot of time on his hands." Terra replied softly. When he reached the final illustration of him being possessed by Xehanort he stopped with his Keyblade summoned. With an enraged yell he smashed the statue with one ferocious swing.

"I've always wanted to do that. Go ahead, Riku, you can tell me I shouldn't have done that, now." Terra said but Riku shook his head.

"I'd have done the same thing, actually. It was a pressure valve for you just now and we all need that occasionally." Riku replied.

"Oh."

They were about to reach the top of the cliff when they suddenly felt the ground shaking beneath them.

"Uh-oh! EVERYONE GET DOWN OFF THE MOUNTAIN!" Aqua shouted. Everyone instinctively did so, turning and running back down the ramp and back onto the ground just in time as the entire rock wall that connected to the Twister Trench collapsed in a heap of rubble, taking most of the carvings with it.

"Aww, Terra, all that work!" Aqua said as they caught their breath.

"It's alright Aqua…I never had a chance to finish it anyway." Terra replied.

"Huh?" Ven asked.

"I never got a chance to put in the happy ending where we all went home after defeating Xehanort, three months ago." Terra said with a smile.

"Come on, we can't waste more time." Lightning said as they started walking again. After what seemed like another hour of walking, some of the men had fallen towards the back of the group while most of the women remained at the front.

"Come on you guys! Keep up!" Yuffie called over her shoulder.

"Easy for her to say." Bartz mumbled as most of the men sighed in unison.

"What we need is a marching tune of some sort." Cid grumbled.

"Anyone got one in mind?" Terra asked over his shoulder, earning groans to the negative.

"Guys, sometimes it helps if you just start singing it. Let it come to you naturally." Firion said with a smile, earning a scowl from Aqua.

"Don't encourage them." She mumbled.

"Yeah, but what've we got to sing about?" Ven asked as Zidane started thinking.

"How much our feet hurt?" Cloud asked back, sarcastically.

"D-D-Did you just make a joke?" Axel asked in shock.

"It works for me!" Cecil said. (Music Cue: A Girl Worth Fighting For – Mulan)

"Okay then!" Aerith said with a smile as most of them started to sing…

"_For a long time we've been marching off to battle."_

Then Snow sang as he hunched over…

"_In a thund'ring herd we feel a lot like cattle."_

"Can I slap them?" Aqua asked but Lightning shook her head. The men then continued…

"_Like the pounding beat, our aching feet aren't easy to ignore."_

Just then Zidane ran up, threw his arms around Ven and Bartz before singing…

"_Hey! Think of instead, a girl worth fighting for!"_

This caused all the women ahead of them to freeze and whirl around to face them.

"Huh?" they asked before Zidane grinned and sang…

"_That's what I said:  
A girl worth fighting for!"_

Then Axel grinned and sang…

"_I want her paler than the moon with eyes that shine like stars!"_

Terra then smiled and sang…

"_My girl will marvel at my strength, adore my battle scars!"_

"Not you too." Aqua grumbled as she glared daggers at Terra. Cid then sang…

"_I couldn't care less what she'll wear or what she looks like.  
It all depends on what she cooks, like: Beef, pork, chicken ...  
Mmm."_

The color then drained from Yuffie's face. She happened to know how to cook those things quite well. Then Bartz gave Riku a friendly elbow to the arm as he sang…

"_Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer."_

Riku chuckled and shrugged as Zidane slapped the armor piece on Ven's arm, activating his armor, sans helmet.

"_And I'll bet the ladies love a man in armor."_

Then most of the men sang in unison…

"_You can guess what we have missed the most,  
since we went off to war!"_

Then Zidane and Axel sang together…

"_What do we want?"_

As the men replied…

"_A girl worth fighting for!"_

Then Riku shrugged and sang…

"_My girl will think I have no faults."_

Aqua glared at Riku with a dark glare.

"Et tu, Riku?" she grumbled as Terra sang…

"_That I'm a major find."_

Finally Tifa stopped and spun around towards them before singing with her hands on her hips…

"_How 'bout a girl who's got a brain,  
who always speaks her mind?"_

The men paused for a moment in thought. Then everyone of the men except for Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Cloud, Snow, Leon, Firion, Ven, and Cecil replied in unison…

"**Nah!"**

Then Axel sang…

"_My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her!"_

Then Bartz leaned over to Kairi and sang…

"_He thinks he's such a lady-killer, ha!"_

Then Ven sang, as he dismissed his armor and looked straight at Aqua…

"_I've a girl back home who's unlike any other."_

Aqua blushed with a smile. Then Zidane scoffed and sang…

"_Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother."_

This resulted in him being dealt another pervert-punishing-slap-of-doom from Aqua, which sent him crashing into a nearby rock wall. The Gullwings were now forced to carry his unconscious form by the hair and tail as the men sang…

"_But when we come home in victory they'll line up at the door."_

Then Axel sang…

"_What do we want?"_

Then the men all sang as they started rounding the corner of a tall mountain…

"_A girl worth fighting for."_

Then Hope sang, looking up at the sky…

"_Wish that I had…"_

Lightning couldn't help but smile at Hope's comment as the men sang again…

"_A girl worth fighting for!"_

They then sang as they rounded the corner…

"_A girl worth fighting -…"_

But they were silenced by Aqua's motion to halt. Before them lay the Keyblade Graveyard itself, the miles and miles of lifeless Keyblades all embedded in the ground like headstones.

"This is it…the Keyblade Graveyard." Terra said as they started following the opening between the rows and rows of Keyblades towards the center where they could see the towering spire that Xehanort had created with his powers eleven years ago in the distance, marking the center of the graveyard for them. A little beyond the spire, they could see the castle, nestled within the shade of the surrounding cliffs.

"Storm's coming." Lighting said as she looked towards the sky. They looked up and sure enough, dark storm clouds were beginning to form overhead.

"Seems kinda fitting." Snow replied.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Kairi asked, pointing towards a tall cliff face in the distance.

"That was the fastest route here. That was where we were going to go initially but the path collapsed on us." Aqua replied.

"No-no, not the path. That!" Kairi said, pointing towards the opening in the cliff face.

"Looks like someone's heading in that direction." Riku replied as Lightning knelt down over the sand, looking at some footprints.

"Judging by these tracks, they were here just seconds ago." Lightning said as Aqua turned towards Terra.

"What do you think, take them by surprise?" Aqua asked as Terra summoned his Keyblade and armor before nodding.

"Let's go." He said as Aqua, Ven, Kairi, and Riku summoned their armor and Keyblades before they turned to the others.

"Wait here for now and relax. If you see anything that looks like an Unversed, attack it." Aqua said.

"We'll keep a look out. You can count on us." Leon said with a nod before Mickey leapt onto Terra's back.

"You mind if I tag along fellas?" Mickey asked as Terra nodded.

"We were hoping you would." Terra replied before the five of them ran towards the opening in the cliff wall, leaving their army of friends behind.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Hope said as Lighting set her gunblade to gun form.

"Just keep your eyes peeled. There's no telling what might happen." She said as everyone started prepping their weapons. Tifa then noticed that someone was missing aside from those who had left already.

"Uh-oh, where's Cloud?" Tifa asked worriedly.

"The chocobo head has run off, without nary a word or a cough. In pursuit of our leaders he fled, after someone who wishes to make them quite dead." Shantotto said, as Tifa sighed as a chill ran down her spine.

"I was afraid of that."

* * *

**End Chapter 34.**

The song above was a slightly modified version of "A Girl Worth Fighting For" from Mulan.

I added this chapter as more of the comic relief before the big battle starts…which will be very soon. Oh and Cid's Speech at the top was an Easter egg for Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus fans. Its Cid's speech from that game only tweaked (and censored) to fit the setting.

Now before you guys ask me my preferences when it comes to romantic parings (since the song may have given the wrong impressions), allow me to nip this in the bud with this list of Final Fantasy pairings (in relation to the characters that are in this story) that I support…

Cloud/Tifa  
Zidane/Garnet (The princess from FFIX)  
Cecil/Rosa  
Squall (A.K.A. Leon)/Rinoa (The leading female character from FFVIII)  
Cid/Shera (Cid's wife from FFVII)  
Snow/Serah  
Aerith/Zack  
Firion/Maria (The leading female from FFII)  
Yuna/Tidus  
Vaan/Penelo

I do support Hope/Lightning but not in the perverted/pedophilia kind of way. Poor Tina, Bartz, Shantotto, Yuffie, Rikku, and Paine…they're kinda perpetually stuck in the lonely hearts of Kingdom Hearts club (at least in relation to this story)…NO I do not support the Yuffie/Vincent paring! It's just too creepy to me.


	35. Setting the Board

It was early morning in the Twister Trench when the reformed Keyblade Rebels were awakened to the ground shaking and the sound of an avalanche near the edge of one of the trench's entrance.

"What in the-?" Rain yelped as she leapt up off the ground, her clothes turning red and flames appearing over her hands just in case.

"It's an avalanche! The path ahead just collapsed!" Dawn exclaimed as he hovered overhead.

"At least it wasn't us." Ion said as he stretched. His head was still uncovered due to his having given his hood for Sora to use as a pillow. Sora was asleep now instead of unconscious, now using Light's cape as a blanket. Light turned and knelt down to his Heart-Bound's slumbering form.

"He should be alright now, Light. Fortunately, I know Curaga." Rain said as the flames on her hands extinguished and her regular colors returned.

"I shall still remain by his side then. As his Keyblade, it is my duty to do so." Light said, earning a small smile from Rain.

"I'm kinda surprised to hear you say that, Light. All this time we've been maintaining that the Heart-Bound didn't own us and yet here you are saying that Sora's your Heart-Bound and that you're his Keyblade." Rain said as Light nodded.

"When I spoke to Sora in the Master's chambers, he said that he considered the two of us as part of a team. He said that he was nothing without me. What he doesn't realize is that he was wrong. He is not the one who is nothing without me, I am the one who is nothing without him." Light explained, earning understanding smiles from Dawn, Ion, and Rain. Wind and Keep however were confused.

"Was there any English in that?" Wind asked, scratching his head.

"He's right. Without our Heart-Bound, we're nothing. There's no point in our existing without them. We exist to answer the call of a heart that we deem worthy. Once we've chosen that heart, we are bound to that heart for life. We answer their call to fight, seal the keyholes of the worlds, protect the hearts of innocent people, defeat the creatures of Darkness…but we can't do that when we exist in this form." Rain said as she looked at her hands.

"Then…what do we do?" Ion asked as Dawn approached, opening his wings.

"I believe it's obvious." He said, stretching out his hand and summoning his Keyblade form.

"We must unlock our hearts and return to our original forms." Rain said as she also summoned her Keyblade form.

"But what of our Heart-Bound? Shouldn't we let them know that Sora is alright?" Wind asked, earning surprised looks from everyone.

"What?"

"You just said something that, for once, wasn't self-centered. Are you alright?" Rain asked as Wind crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the spot where Des had died.

"I've…kinda had things come into perspective, you know?" Wind said as they all nodded silently.

"But there is hope for us. We might belong in our Keyblade forms, but that doesn't mean we can't help our Heart-Bound defeat the Master…if only we knew the way to do that." Light said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"We'll think of something, Light. We've got to stick together and so we'll think of it together." Ion said as Keep nodded happily.

"Uh huh! Best friends, forever!" Keep declared.

"Friends?" Light asked surprised.

"Yeah, we're friends. So what?" Rain asked as she gave him a concerned look.

"We even consider Wind as a friend, even when he is an insufferable windbag." Ion said as Wind rolled his eyes.

"You see, Light. Even we Keyblades can comprehend such a thing as friendship." Dawn said, surprising Light.

"I…I don't think I've ever even had a friend before. I always thought we were simply acquaintances." Light said, earning a laugh from Keep.

"Silly, Light. Of course we're your friends…ain't that right guys?" Keep asked as the other four nodded and cleared their throats before singing in unison (Music Cue: That's What Friends Are For (A.K.A. The Vulture's Song) – Disney's Jungle Book)…

"_We're your friends.  
We're your friends.  
We're your friends to the bitter end, (the bitter end.)"_

Then Dawn sang as the others replied…

"_When you're alone…"  
(Others: "When you're alone…")_

Followed by Ion who sang…

"…_who comes around…"  
(Others: "…who comes around…")_

Then Wind sang…

"…_to pluck you up…"  
(Others: "…to pluck you up…")_

And then Rain sang…

"…_when you are down?"  
(Others: "…when you are down?")_

Then the four of them sang together, looking at Light with smiles on their faces…

"_And when you're outside, looking in  
who's there to open the doo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-or?  
That's (that's) what (what) friends are fo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-r!"_

Then Dawn approached, extending one of his clawed hands as they sang…

"_Who's always eager to extend  
a friendly cla-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-w?"_

Then they sang as they started marching around Light in a circle…

"_That's what friends are for!  
And when you're lost, in dire need,  
who's at your side, at lightning speed?  
We're friends with every Keyblade,  
comin' down the pike.  
In fact we've hardly met a weapon that,  
we didn't like…"_

"You take it, Light!" Keep shouted as Light cleared his throat and sang…

"…_didn't like!"_

Then the four gathered around him as they sang…

"_So you can see,  
we're friends in need,  
and friends in need,  
are friends indeed.  
We'll keep you safe,  
in the worlds for ever mo-o-o-o-o-o-ore!"_

Then a familiar deep voice sang over the distant rumble of thunder…

"_That's what friends-…"_

They quickly whirled around in shock to see Garland accompanied by Beco, Sha, Seeker, and Mark with their weapons primed as Garland finished singing…

"…_-are fo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-or!"_ (End Music)

"Brother!" Light exclaimed as he and his fellow Keyblades summoned their weapons and dropped into their battle stances.

"Did you believe that you could escape us for long? You know that there is nowhere to run that we cannot find you." Garland said as they stood in a standoff. The two brothers, Light and Garland staring each other down. To Light's right was Rain staring down Mark while to his left was Wind, staring at Seeker. To Wind's left was Ion with Keep's weapon form staring down Beco. Dawn was staring down Sha to Rain's right.

"We will not be used as tools of Darkness anymore, Dark. We've chosen to return to our Heart-Bound." Rain said with her ice blades primed. Garland simply laughed.

"That name is no longer mine. I have been named as the Masters Champion and as such they have restored to me the name I chose when I first arrived. I am now known as Garland." Garland said with an unseen grin.

"Garland?" Light exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes, brother. Now it is time for each of you to die." Garland said as his companions dropped into their battle stances.

"Die? The Master wouldn't order us killed! The Master hasn't killed anyone intentionally before. Even the attack that killed Des wasn't meant to kill her. It was meant to stun but her positioning caused the blade to pierce deep into the skin, dealing a fatal wound. The Master knows their own weakness. Gear was the only one they killed intentionally but that exposed the Master's weakness!" Dawn said as Seeker chuckled.

"Oh but we don't serve the Master…we never have." Seeker said, pulling back his hood.

"What?" Light asked in shock.

"You've betrayed them as well?" Rain asked in surprise.

"We never served the Master, in fact, they've been unknowingly serving us." Seeker corrected.

"Did it ever seem strange to you that Garland, Seeker, Gear, Beco, Sha, and I would show up on the Master's doorstep at the same time?" Mark asked with a smile.

"We've been working on making sure that things go according to plan." Beco replied.

"His plan." Sha added.

"His? You mean Gear's?" Dawn asked but Garland chuckled darkly.

"Even Gear was a servant of our true master. He was only the mouthpiece for the Master's plans." Garland replied.

"And who is this True Master that you speak of?" Light asked.

"Why, none other than Gear's own Heart-Bound…Vanitas." Seeker replied with a grin.

"Vanitas? But he's dead!" Dawn exclaimed but again Garland laughed.

"That is what you believe. Even now he is waiting for our duty to be fulfilled, waiting for the right chance to arrive." Garland said.

"Then we shall resist to our fullest extent!" Light said as Garland chuckled, hefting his large sword closer towards him.

"Good, I was looking forward to being able to do battle with you, brother! Now we can finally see which of us is the superior warrior!" Garland said excitedly.

"But it doesn't matter which of you are superior, all of you will die soon enough." Mark said, dropping into his battle stance. Suddenly a Blizzaga flew towards him from between Light and Rain. He quickly sliced through the attack as Light and his fellow rebels turned and saw the origin of the attack.

"Back away from my friends!" Sora yelled as he ran up to stand between Light and Wind with his Keyblade and armor summoned, sans helmet.

"Master Sora, you're awake!" Light exclaimed as Sora looked up at him and grinned.

"I've been awake for a while, Kingdom Key. I'm just naturally lazy and haven't gotten up until now." Sora replied.

"Well welcome anyway." Wind said with a grin.

"We suspected that the Heart-Bound would awaken, so we took the added precaution of bringing a friend along to help us." Garland said as a beam of blue light appeared between him and Seeker, leaving Sephiroth in its wake.

"Good to see you again." Sephiroth said with his sinister smile as he stared at Sora.

"Oh great." Sora mumbled while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"We've also got one other friend to assist us." Seeker said with a grin as the ground beneath them began to shake. Suddenly from behind the row of Keyblade Villains, appeared the Iron Imprisoner in its third form as it burst up from the ground. The Keyblade Rebels started backing up nervously at the sight of the towering Unversed.

"So what do we do now?" Rain asked nervously.

"I don't know." Light replied.

"We may not have to do anything." Sora said as his helmet appeared on his head.

"What do you mean?" Wind asked. Suddenly from overhead the Keyblade Villains flew a streak of red light into the air before it disappeared, revealing Terra in his armor and now holding his Keyblade in its Ultima Cannon form.

"EAT THIS!" Terra shouted from overhead. The villains looked up in surprise just as Terra fired the shot, sending a ball of energy screaming down at them, sending up a mushroom cloud upon impact. Through the smoke flew four more Keyblade Riders, Riku, Aqua, Kairi, and Ven, with Mickey riding on Ven's back. They dismissed their Keyblade Riders in midair, landing and rolling in next to Sora and the Rebels.

"Guy's you made it!" Sora exclaimed as their helmets disappeared. Terra then landed next to them.

"We couldn't just let you rot, Sora." Aqua said as Riku looked over at Dawn.

"Although by the looks of things, it looks like you've got plenty of support of your own." Riku said as Dawn smiled and nodded. Sora grinned excitedly before saying…

"Yeah, these guys saved me from the Master. Oh, and get this, the Master is-…" "The Master is the X-Blade incarnate. We know. Master Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise figured it out." Aqua interrupted.

"Then you should know that the five Keyblades you just destroyed are not in league with the Master at all. They've been serving Vanitas." Light said, surprising the five newcomers.

"Vanitas? But he's dead!" Ven exclaimed in shock.

"They claim he's still alive and waiting for the chance to strike!" Rain replied.

"But if they were serving Vanitas, then does that mean he was the one responsible for the fall of the Destiny Islands?" Kairi asked as the others shrugged.

"We don't know." Light replied.

"Hey, shouldn't there be a sixth one of you?" Mickey asked as the other Keyblades lowered their heads.

"Des…she sacrificed herself to save my life when we turned on the Master." Light replied, surprising the others.

"But…she's still here. Right here." Kairi said as she raised up her Keyblade towards Light with both hands.

"I know, Lady Kairi. She is where she is meant to be. Before this day is over, all of the Keyblades will be returned to their rightful forms and at the rightful places in the hands of their Heart-bound." Light said as he looked towards the sky.

"How sentimental." A voice said. They all turned and saw Garland and his fellow Keyblade Villains along with Sephiroth and the Iron Imprisoner emerge from the still lingering cloud of smoke. On the end of Sha's hammer was a glowing sphere of energy. It was the shot from the Ultima Cannon.

"Did you think we were unprepared for that attack? You are so predictable." Sha chuckled as the sphere dissipated. Sephiroth then sensed something that made his smile widen.

"Hmm, I sense that you didn't come alone." Sephiroth said.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted from the entrance to the trench with his sword raised.

"What kept you, Cloud? I've been waiting a long time for you to find me." Sephiroth said.

"This was the last time I come looking for you, Sephiroth! From now on, you're going to have to come to me!" Cloud said, causing Sephiroth to arch an eyebrow.

"We'll see about that." Sephiroth replied as he dropped into his battle stance.

"Well, it seems that we are all to be locked in the cycle of battle once more!" Garland said as Light pointed his sword at him.

"Garland, I swear on this sword, that you will never succeed in whatever plans that Vanitas has set in motion!" Light said as Garland laughed. (Battle Music Cue: Blinded By Light – Final Fantasy XIII OST)

"We shall see about that! Oh and as for your friends in the Keyblade Graveyard, Heart-Bound, it will soon become their graves as well!" Garland shouted as he and his fellow Keyblade Villains disappeared in Corridors of Darkness, leaving Sephiroth and the Iron Imprisoner behind.

"Hey, Ven. Bet'cha I can bring down that Unversed before you can!" Wind said with a grin.

"You're on, Wayward!" Ven replied before getting slapped on the back by Wind.

"Don't call me Wayward. It's his royal highness, King Wayward Wind!" Wind replied boastfully.

"Well then let's see if you can fight as well as you boast! You guys go deal with the Keyblades, Wind and I will take care of this guy!" Ven shouted.

"Are you sure you two can handle this thing alone?" Aqua asked as Ven looked up at her and grinned before pulling her down by the back of the neck to his level and kissing her on the lips.

"Oh, they're back together now huh?" Sora asked as Kairi nodded.

"Uh-huh. Riku, Terra, Axel, and I helped." Kairi said with a smile before she kissed Sora on the cheek.

"Alright, we can't all just stand around here! Let's move!" Mickey shouted as Terra, Sora, Kairi, Aqua, and Riku summoned their Keyblade Riders and their helmets formed over their heads. Mickey quickly leapt onto Terra's back. Light also summoned his Keyblade Rider form beneath his feet while Rain did the same. Ion quickly shifted to his ninjato form, allowing Keep to hop onto Light's back while Dawn extended his wings.

"Come on guys, let's move!" Sora shouted as they took off, leaving Ven and Wind to deal with the Iron Imprisoner and Cloud to deal with Sephiroth. It didn't take them long to reach the Keyblade Graveyard again but down below, they saw their friends engaging in battle against a sea of Unversed at Pete's command.

"Guys, set me down with Donald and Goofy, we'll deal with Pete and catch up to you as soon as possible!" Mickey said as Terra nodded.

"Hang on, Mickey!" Terra exclaimed as he put the Keyblade Rider into a slide close to the ground, smashing through several Unversed as Mickey leapt off the back before Terra pulled up on his Keyblade Rider and took to the sky again. As they flew over the battlefield, Aqua, Rain, and Dawn flew in low, peppering the Unversed with Wing Arrows and Light Bullets, respectively. Dawn was able to fire both his handguns like they were fully automatic weapons and each shot found its mark on an Unversed. Aqua and Rain were flying in formation before they suddenly saw a number of glowing blue swords flying up towards them from the top of the mountainous peak in the center of the field that Xehanort had made eleven years ago. They circled around and saw Seeker standing at the top, his arms raised towards them and firing blue swords towards them.

"Rain! Let's take care of him!" Aqua shouted over her shoulder. Rain responded with a nod before they both dove in towards Seeker, firing Wing Arrows at him as they approached, but he blocked or deflected each one. When they were close enough they dismissed their Keyblade Riders and converted them to their Keyblade forms while flying in for an attack. Meanwhile, the others were heading towards the castle when Terra suddenly spotted a number of glowing chains of light flying up towards them from the ground.

"WATCH IT!" He shouted as they quickly moved to avoid the chains. Terra looked down and saw Mark, pointing his sword up towards them with a glowing sphere on the end that was firing the chains off. Terra growled angrily at the sight.

"Mark's mine! Get to the Castle!" Terra shouted as he spun around and rocketed towards the villainous Keyblade. As soon as he had turned around, they suddenly had to avoid black and white Nobody thorns that were being fired up at them from the ground. One of the thorns struck the bottom of Light's Rider, shaking it violently but Light remained on course. However the hit caused Keep to lose her grip and fall off his back.

"LIGHT!" she screamed as she fell. Without thinking, Kairi dove down after her and caught the falling girl.

"I GOTCHA!" Kairi shouted as she pulled up quickly and saw Beco firing the thorns at the others. She veered around towards the Keyblade with Keep holding onto her back with one hand while holding Ion's ninjato form in the other.

"_Let's get her, Keep!"_ Ion said through his bladed form. Now it was just Sora, Light, Riku, and Dawn in the skies but they narrowly dodged a sphere of energy fired from the ground. Dawn looked down and saw Sha with the Ultima Cannon on his shoulder.

"Riku!" Dawn shouted.

"I see him! You guys take care of the Dark Kingdom Key; we'll take care of Earth Shaker!" Riku shouted as he and Dawn flew down towards Sha.

"I guess it's just you and me now, huh Kingdom Key?" Sora asked as Light looked over with a nod and smiled. Soon they saw the outside of the castle gates and standing before them was Garland, holding his sword and glaring up at them. Light and Sora both flew down and landed, dismissing their Keyblade Riders and approaching with their weapons ready.

"Warriors of Light…let us once more enter the cycle of battle!" Garland said as he dropped into a battle stance. Sora and Light did the same…

The Keyblade War had begun.

* * *

**End Chapter 35.**

The Song above was a slightly altered version of "That's What Friends Are For," A.K.A. the Vulture's Song from Disney's Jungle Book. On a personal note…I love that song.

The battle has begun and the first round of fights are ready to begin. Area scanned, battle mode approved, battlefield set up! Ready, FIGHT! (Tee-hee, Sorry that was a reference to Zoids New Century Zero there. I've always wanted to say that.)


	36. The Keyblade War Part 1

Aqua and Rain flew in with fast towards Seeker as he stood atop the tall rock mesa that Xehanort had formed eleven years ago during his and Vanitas's battle with Ven, Terra, and Aqua. Rain had her Keyblade form in her hands while Aqua flew in with Mark of Mastery. Seeker spot them and raised a pair of his glowing blue swords in time to block them, causing Aqua and Rain to flip over his head and land on the opposite side of the mesa. They quickly spun back towards him, Rain dismissing her Keyblade form and allowing the ice blades to form over her hands.

"Well, I must say that I am surprised that the two of you are to be my opponents in this battle." Seeker said as he pulled back his hood, revealing his mimicry of a young Master Xehanort.

"Don't be too flattered, Seeker. We're here to put an end to Vanitas's plans." Rain replied as she and Aqua dropped into their respective battle stances.

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that. You see, no matter what you do at this juncture, this battle will result in Vanitas's reawakening into the worlds, wielding the greatest Keyblade known to exist. The X-Blade." Seeker said with a grin.

"We're not going to let that happen, Seeker! As a Master of the Keyblade, I will not let Vanitas return to the worlds!" Aqua replied but Seeker gave a malicious chuckle.

"Why you poor blind little soul. Everything that has happened has all been according to Vanitas's plan. He's had three whole months to prepare this plan and at this point in the game…there's nothing that can be done to stop it." Seeker said with a laugh. He quickly had to deflect a blade of ice that came flying towards him from Rain's sleeve.

"Enough talk, Seeker…this ends now." Rain said with a scowl. (Battle Music Cue: Otherworld – Final Fantasy X OST) (A/N: I'll explain why I chose this battle theme at the end of the chapter.)

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it girl? Throw snowballs at me?" Seeker asked but Rain reached for her glasses, her eyes turning into cat-like slits. Her clothing also turned red, flames appearing on her hands.

"Aqua, let me take care of him. You need to save your strength for the Master." Rain said as Aqua watched in unseen awe at what happened. Rain pulled off her glasses, causing a mighty burst of flames to appear around her. When the flames died down, she had undergone a drastic change. She now had long flowing red hair that went down to her waist like a mane. Her skin was a fiery red along with her eyes. She also had a pair of large demonic looking horns that were curved up and towards her back. Her arms and legs were now well toned and muscular and her hands were now like feral claws. Her shoes had burst open, revealing a pair of clawed hound like feet.

"What did you-?" Aqua asked in awe. Rain smirked as she glanced at her Heart-Bound.

"I am channeling all my fire magic into this form…I call this form, Ifrit form." Rain replied, causing heat vapors to appear from her mouth with every word. When she exhaled through her nostrils, heat vapors could be seen. (A/N: this is an homage to the reoccurring Final Fantasy Summon, Ifrit. I have Ifrit's Final Fantasy X appearance in mind when making the visual modifications to Rain's appearance.)

"Then let's see if your words aren't just full of hot air." Seeker grinned before he hurled one of his glowing blue swords towards her. Rain quickly spun to the side, dodging the sword which disappeared. However when she spun back towards Seeker, she opened her mouth and caused a massive stream of flames to fire towards him. Seeker quickly threw up a Guard Wall, (the spell Xemnas had used in his human form battles) just in time to deflect the flames around him, sending them flying in all directions. When the attack ended, the wall went down and Seeker grinned.

"Is that all you've got?" Seeker asked with a grin before dodging a Blizzaga blast from Aqua.

"There's two of us here you know." Aqua said before Seeker grinned again.

"Oh I'm well aware of that." Seeker said before he hurled another sword at her but the sword was intercepted by a fireball and knocked away.

"Aqua, I mean no disrespect…but you're in my way." Rain said as Aqua nodded silently before performing a cartwheel off the mesa and onto her Keyblade Rider, taking to the sky and circling around the mesa to watch.

"So, what now Rainfall? You going to try and burn me to pieces?" Seeker asked mockingly as he coupled his swords together into a single double blade. Rain snorted, a flicker of flames exiting her nose upon doing so.

"That…and more." She replied before she was suddenly engulfed in flames, clinching her fists at her sides with her eyes shut. Seeker stood his ground as Rain unleashed a powerful wave of fire that consumed the entire mesa in a column of flames. Aqua had to throw up a Reflega to keep out the heat even. She had used a move called Hellfire. When the flames died down, Rain's Ifrit form had vanished and she stood looking a little ragged. Seeker was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly however, a Corridor of Darkness opened and closed, revealing Seeker standing with his arms crossed.

"Missed." He chuckled as Rain's eyes widened in shock for a moment before narrowing in anger. Her clothes then turned yellow and volts of electricity appeared around her fists. The cloud filled sky above started flashing with light as thunder boomed mere seconds apart.

"Alright…then how does this strike you?" She asked angrily as dozens of lightning bolts struck her instantly. When the lightning stopped, it revealed Rain with a single horn on her forehead that was curved upward in the middle but curved back forward to end in a straight point. Her hair was long and white like a horse's mane. She had large patches of white fur on her shoulders, around her wrists and her legs and feet had transformed into black horse legs and white hooves. Her clothes were still yellow but her pants had been heavily torn.

"Ixion form!" Rain shouted before thrusting her head forward, firing bolts of lightning at Seeker who deflected the shots and started charging towards her. She quickly leapt up with her legs pulled back before kicking him in the chest with both hooves, nearly sending him over the edge of the mesa. As he precariously attempted to retain his balance at the very edge of the cliff, he looked and saw Rain leap into the air, her feet pulled back again but sparking with electricity.

"It's hammer time, Seeker!" Rain shouted as she came down onto the mesa with a crash that sounded like thunder, sending up a mushroom cloud of dust. She had used a move called Thor's Hammer. Aqua watched silently as the dust cleared. When it finally did settle, Rain's Ixion form had vanished as well and now she was alone on the mesa…but not for long. (End Battle Music)

"Rain LOOK OUT!" Aqua exclaimed. Rain spun around just in time to be run through the stomach by Seeker.

"Nice try, Rain." Seeker grinned but Rain's stunned expression turned to anger again.

"Same…to you." She grimaced as her clothes turned blue and she became enveloped within a block of ice. Seeker's arm was stuck in the ice as well and he was struggling to get free but to no avail. When the ice finally shattered, His feet had been frozen in place but now Rain had shifted to yet a different form. Her shirt had been torn off from just above the stomach, revealing her midriff and her pants were now just a pair of makeshift shorts. Her skin had turned a pale blue and her hair had become dark blue and reached well below her waist but tied in a number of large dreadlocks.

"Shiva form." She said as she grabbed Seeker by the wrist, keeping his sword embedded through her. Seeker realized her intention with widened eyes. Rain glanced up at Aqua who hovered around to look at her from the front. Aqua's helmet vanished, revealing a stunned and hurt expression.

"Rain." She whispered as she realized what Rain was thinking. Time seemed to slow down as Rain smiled up at her, an icy tear running down her cheek. A sudden torrent of cold white-blue energy started swirling around both Rain and Seeker as Rain prepared to use her final move…Diamond Dust.

"Thank you." She whispered before the white-blue energy formed a thick dome over the mesa before the energy vanished, revealing a solid dome of ice that covered the whole mesa. The ice was so thick that Aqua couldn't see a thing within it. In her heart, she sensed Rain had returned to her Keyblade form, sacrificing her human form in a final display of loyalty to her Heart-Bound. Aqua allowed a tear to run down her cheek as she smiled.

"Thank you, Rain." Aqua said before she turned her Keyblade Rider around and start flying towards the castle in the distance.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Terra had turned sharply and was flying down towards Mark who noticed his sudden change in course. He quickly raised his sword before Terra slammed into him, his Keyblade back in its normal form. The sheer force of the attack shoved the two of them across the sand covered ground on their feet until they finally stopped a quarter of a mile from where Mark was once standing.

"Back for round two, are we?" Mark asked as Terra snarled.

"I'm going to put an end to you right now! I won't let you continue to defile Master Eraqus's memory anymore!" Terra replied as he dropped into his Zantetsuken stance, the pink cherry blossom petals of energy appearing. Mark braced himself for the attack but it made no difference, Terra vanished in a blur, dealing a devastating blow to the Keyblade Villain. Mark clutched his side with a grunt of agony.

"Curse you, Heart-Bound." He grimaced through clinched teeth. Terra had gotten the drop on him and Mark was paying dearly for it.

"I'm going to make this quick for you, but first I want to know one thing. Why do you want me to succumb to the Darkness?" Terra asked, both he and Mark facing away from each other. He then heard Mark start laughing with a dark tone.

"Why? The answer is simple. It's so you won't be a problem when the true master reawakens." Mark replied.

"Vanitas? Not gonna happen." Terra said as Mark chuckled and the blade of his sword shrank down slightly to half length.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that. His heart is already waiting for just the right moment." Mark said as he positioned the sword over his own chest as if he were about to run himself through. Terra's eyes widened at the comment.

"Where? Where is he?" Terra asked as he spun around in time to see Mark stab himself in the chest with his sword. Mark started to glow with a grey aura as he grinned.

"That…I'm afraid…will have to remain my little secret." Mark said with a chuckle before he threw back his head and started laughing, his laughter continuing even as his body became nothing but shimmering white sparks of energy that started rising up towards the cloudy sky, leaving Terra to himself with a stunned expression on his face.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

Kairi, Ion (in his ninjato form), and Keep landed on the ground near Beco who turned towards them with a bored expression.

"Oh…lucky me. The Princess and the Sibling Blades. How wonderful." Beco said sarcastically in her usual bored tone. Ion and Keep immediately switched places, Keep taking her sword form while Ion returned to human form.

"What's with you, Beco. Why do you seem so lethargic all the time?" Ion asked as Beco shrugged.

"Beats me. However, I must admit, I am excited about what will happen soon." Beco said as a small yet sinister smile appeared on her face.

"Why? What's going to happen soon?" Kairi asked. Beco chuckled delightedly.

"The moment that all four of my cohorts and I have been waiting eagerly for. The reawakening of Vanitas." Beco replied as she stretched her arms up towards the sky as if basking in glory.

"We won't allow that to happen. We'd die before that happens!" Ion replied as Beco chuckled darkly.

"Ah, but that's the point. It just so happens that the second we knew that the X-Blade fragments had been purged from the Princess's heart that we were to make sure that the Princess herself was…removed, from the equation entirely." Beco said as a pair of Samurai Nobody swords appeared in her hands. (Battle Music Cue: Revenge of Chaos – KH Re: Chain of Memories OST)

"Kairi, we're not going to let her harm you." Ion said as he dropped into his battle stance.

"And I'm not going to just stand idly by and let you get yourselves hurt in the process." Kairi replied as she too dropped into her battle stance.

"Then we'll take her together. Ready Keep?" Ion asked as Keep's sword form glowed.

"_Ready, Ion!"_ Keep replied. Before they could blink, Beco had vanished in a flash of light. Ion instinctively raised Keep's sword form in time to block Beco as she came down on them with a Dragoon Nobody's lance.

"Nice reflexes there, Ion." Beco said with a bemused smirk.

"You forget, that you're not the only Keyblade whose original Heart-Bound was a Nobody." Ion replied before swinging the sword, and launching Beco into the air. Before she could react, she saw a barrage of Holy spheres flying up towards her. The spheres impacted on the hapless Keyblade, causing her to crash into the ground.

"_Um, Ion, I thought that her Heart-Bound was actually a Replica of Sora that thought she was a Nobody."_ Keep said as Ion gave an exasperated sigh.

"You really want to discuss this now, Keep?" Ion asked before using her sword form to block a retaliatory barrage of red bolts of energy as Beco double-wielded a pair of Sniper Nobody guns. Kairi quickly leapt in the bolts path and used her special "Holy Reflega" (A/N: That's what I chose to call it) to protect both herself and the Sibling Blades. The resulting burst of Holy spheres launched themselves towards Beco who sighed in frustration.

"Not again." She grumbled before getting hit head on by the spell. Ion quickly leapt up and charged at her but was suddenly knocked back when Beco recovered and summoned a Berserker Nobody's possessed hammer, causing it to bounce up and down rapidly towards the Sibling Blades. Kairi quickly cast Thundaga, striking Beco on the top of the head, dazing her for a second.

"Nice shot." Ion said as Kairi shrugged.

"It just kinda came to me." She replied innocently. They then saw Beco disappear into the ground. Ion froze when this occurred.

"Watch your back, she might reappear any second now." Ion said as Kairi stood poised and ready for anything. None of them noticed as a pair of Assassin Nobody blade arms rose up from out of the ground behind Kairi. However, Kairi suddenly cast Firaga Shield, the swirling fireballs taking Beco by surprise and knocking her out of the ground. Kairi and Ion spun towards her.

"We've got you now!" Ion exclaimed as he raised his sword but he froze when he noticed Kairi was glowing with white light.

"Ion, let me do this." Kairi said as Ion smirked.

"She's all yours, Princess." Ion said as Keep reverted to her human form on his back and started beating on his head.

"We're-not-going-to-fight-any-more?-What-are-you-thinking?" Keep asked as she continued beating on his head but he didn't even flinch.

"Watch and learn, sister." Ion replied with a smile. Kairi suddenly started floating a couple of inches off the ground as she continued to glow with light. She suddenly slid forward, gliding gracefully over the ground as if she were using Sora's Wisdom Drive Form. Beco snarled and summoned the Sorcerer Nobody's pink magic cubes but Kairi raised her Keyblade and with a single swing, shattered the cubes and nearly hit Beco had she not leapt backwards.

"Wh-wha-what is this?" Beco asked in fear as Kairi continued sliding towards her.

"It's my Unique Tier One Command Style…Rising Sun!" Kairi replied as she swung her Keyblade across in front of her, firing five Holy spheres at once that launched towards Beco at lightning fast speeds. However, instead of exploding on impact, they became stuck to Beco where they impacted. Beco tried to pry the spheres off but to no avail. Kairi started firing more Holy spheres until finally she raised her Keyblade up into the air, causing the symbol of a giant glowing crisp white heart to appear in the air behind her. (A/N: Think the heart design as seen on the Kingdom Hearts logo).

"This is for Des." Kairi said before the glow from the Holy spheres suddenly intensified before consuming Beco in a single radiant pillar of crisp and clean light. When the light faded, all that remained of Beco was her Keyblade form, hovering in midair before it disappeared in a swirl of black and white thorns. (End battle music) The glow around Kairi had vanished along with her armor's helmet as Ion and Keep approached.

"Is that it? Is she gone?" Keep asked curiously. Ion nodded silently before replying.

"Yes…Beco has returned to Sora's heart, where she belongs." Ion said as Kairi turned towards him with a smile on her face.

"Then that means Sora's gotten stronger right?" Kairi asked as Ion nodded again but this time with a smile.

"Yes…yes he has." Ion said. They then saw King Mickey approaching in the distance.

"Your highness!" Kairi exclaimed as she and the Sibling Blades hurried towards him.

"Kairi! Glad to see you won against Two Become One." Mickey said with a smile.

"Yeah. I discovered my tier one Command Style too." Kairi said as Mickey smiled even wider.

"Hot dog! Way to go Kairi!" Mickey said.

"Your highness, what of the Master's hired henchman, Pete? What has become of him?" Ion asked as Mickey crossed his arms with a sly smirk.

"Oh Pete's been taken care of. Donald and Goofy are keeping him prisoner while the others finish up with the remaining Unversed." Mickey replied.

* * *

**Back on the front lines…**

Pete was being dangled by his ankles upside down near the ground from a nearby cliff ledge while Donald and Goofy remained posted on either side of him.

"Ouch." Pete moaned as his bruises from his battle with King Mickey continued to sting.

"Oh quit your whining Pete." Goofy said as Donald nodded.

"Yeah, you brought this on yourself." Donald said. Pete simply moaned in pain again as a response. Hope then approached, catching his breath.

"Good news, we just heard that three of the Keyblade bad guys are dead." Hope said between breaths.

"Well that's good news." Goofy said with a smile.

"It's far from over though. Sora and the Kingdom Key are still dealing with the Dark Kingdom Key. Once they're down then all they've got left is-…" Hope said, his sentence dropping off as he noticed Donald and Goofy both looking around curiously.

"Say, ya hear that?" Goofy asked. Hope started to listen carefully and then he heard it. It was hard to hear over the sounds of battle nearby, but he could still hear it clearly. It sounded like something large breaking. Hope then saw several small chunks of some form of solid white stuff fall down from overhead. He looked up and saw what the source of it was and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Look!" He exclaimed as he pointed to the top of the nearby mesa where the ice dome from Rain's Diamond Dust attack was shaking, the ice starting to crack and break. Suddenly from the very top of the dome, a blade of blue energy burst up from within the ice, causing the ice around it to crack and break until the entire ice dome shattered, revealing a still very alive Seeker underneath. He was panting heavily and he was getting oddly blurry and occasionally became transparent. He then started to grin as he caught his breath.

"All…according…to plan." He said as his eyes went from their insidious Xehanort mimicking yellow to a distinguishing shade of cyan blue with cat-like slits.

* * *

**End Chapter 36.**

A/N: Okay, the reason I chose Otherworld from Final Fantasy X to be the song that played while Rain and Seeker battled was to reference Rain's use of the three Final Fantasy Summons in battle. All three of the summons used played a major role in Final Fantasy X and I had their FFX designs in mind when describing them. On a similar note, I am a happy Dissidia fan because the FF Wiki has revealed that Yuna is one of the new characters for Dissidia 012 and she fights using the summons from FFX which looks AMAZING! She may end up becoming my favorite character to play as in that game…when it's released that is. (Cannot wait until March 22nd)


	37. The Keyblade War Part 2

(Battle Music Cue: Another Side "Battle Version" – KH 358/2 Days OST. Note: this theme is only on the third disk of the Birth by Sleep soundtrack. The third disk includes music from 358/2 Days, Re: Coded, and the BBS Final Mix).

Riku and Dawn flew in towards Sha who was still firing the Ultima Cannon at them as they approached. They managed to weave past the shots and get close enough for Dawn to open fire with his twin handguns. Sha quickly summoned his hammer back and slammed it into the ground, sending up a relatively thin wall of rock between him and the incoming pair. Riku used his Keyblade Rider and smashed through the rock wall, knocking Sha onto his back before dismissing the Rider and reverting it to its Keyblade form.

"Lousy kids!" Sha grumbled as he leapt to his feet.

"You're outnumbered Sha! Give up!" Dawn said as he kept his guns trained on the Keyblade Villain.

"You just don't get it do you, runts?" Sha asked before he spun the hammer vertically like a fan blade while spinning himself in a circle. The hammer struck the ground twice; the first sent a wall of rock towards Dawn while the other sent another wall at Riku. Dawn quickly leapt into the air while Riku quickly slid to the side, evading the attacks.

"That won't work, Sha!" Dawn yelled as he aimed his guns at Sha, causing one to glow with semi-transparent purple dragon wings while the other with a pair of angelic white wings before firing off a bolt of Light and a similar bolt of Darkness, both arcing around each other until they arced towards each other, Sha standing in between them. Sha grinned before both bolts collided into him, causing an explosion of light and dark energy. Riku and Dawn both had to shield themselves from the resultant light of the attack. When the light faded, all they saw was a pile of rubble where Sha had once stood. As a result Dawn didn't notice a figure standing behind him, but Riku did.

"Huh? DAWN!" Riku shouted but Dawn spun around too late. Sha swung his hammer around, smashing it into Dawn's chest, sending him tumbling away. Sha grinned at the sight of the injured Keyblade before turning back towards Riku.

"You wanna be next, because I can kill two birds with one stone!" Sha said. Riku's response was a Dark Firaga. Sha quickly swung his hammer, batting the shot away but as he did he saw Riku mere inches from his face. Riku proceeded to deliver a fierce uppercut with his sword hand, the guard of the Keyblade smacking Sha in the jaw. Riku landed right in front of the Keyblade Villain and then began attacking with the Keyblade. Sha blocked most of the shots until finally; Riku leapt back and cast Thundaga. Sha managed to block the attack but it was enough, as Riku started glowing with a white-purple aura.

"Huh? What's that?" Sha asked confused before Riku leapt towards him again, delivering lightning fast blows. It was Riku's Tier One unique Command Style. Road Walker. Finally Sha leapt clear before slamming his hammer into the ground behind him, causing a small square of earth beneath his feet to launch him into the air. Riku silently yet quickly retaliated by casting Magnega. When Sha saw the Magnega he paled.

"Oh snap." He muttered as he was yanked back towards the ground and hit hard, sliding a short distance before stopping. Riku quickly hurled a Firaga at him, but Sha managed to deflect the fireball before it hit. Riku retaliated again by casting Thundaga, causing Sha to stagger upon impact with the lightning bolt.

"Alright, time to end this." Riku said as he suddenly started glowing with a rising white energy from his back and shoulders.

"Wha-what is this?" Sha asked as Riku charged towards him. Sha moved to block the blow but when Riku swung his Keyblade, the weapon left thirteen afterimages of the Keyblade that each impacted on the hammer as if they were real.

"It's my tier two unique Command Style…Eternal Session." Riku replied as he started delivering lightning fast blows to the suddenly overwhelmed Sha, each swing creating afterimages that caused even more damage. Finally Sha was on one knee and holding his hammer horizontally between himself and Riku, but Riku felt his Command Style's energy starting to wane.

"This ENDS **NOW**!" Riku shouted as he pointed his Keyblade into the air, causing countless blades of white light to appear in a dome formation with Sha in the dead center, with all the blades pointed towards him. Riku lowered his Keyblade and turned away just as all of the blades converged on Sha simultaneously, running him through before exploding in a pillar of white-purple energy. (End Battle Music.) When Riku looked back, all he saw was Sha's Keyblade form hovering in the air for a moment before disappearing as if Terra had summoned it. Riku turned and saw Dawn still lying on the ground. He quickly hurried towards his Keyblade but froze when he saw that the wings were molting, feathers turning grey and falling loose and the scales on the wings turning black and falling out. He also noticed that his dragon wing was bent backwards from the impact of hitting the ground. Riku quickly dropped to his knees next to Dawn.

"Dawn? Are you alright?" Riku asked but Dawn put a clawed hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Riku! I don't know how much time I have left, so I need to warn you." Dawn said with an urgent expression on his face.

"Warn me? About what?" Riku asked worriedly.

"One of your friends will become Vanitas's new host. If you don't stop Vanitas before the Master falls, he will create the X-Blade and become more powerful than he ever was before!" Dawn said as Riku grasped his hand.

"Whose heart is he in then? Who?" Riku asked urgently. Dawn attempted to answer but before he could, he was suddenly enveloped in white light before dissipating in countless white sparks of light towards the sky. Riku watched the sparks disappear before standing up and looking down at his Keyblade.

"Dawn…Don't let me fail." Riku said before sensing something. He quickly turned and ran off towards the mesa.

* * *

**Outside the Castle gates…**

It had been several minutes since they had arrived and Sora and Light both had their weapons prepped and ready to strike, waiting for Garland to make a move. Meanwhile Garland stood silently barring the entrance to the castle where the Master resided. They were in a standoff and each stood in silence for a moment before Light arched a curious eyebrow and glanced over his left shoulder.

"No…" he whispered in surprise.

"What is it, Kingdom Key?" Sora asked worriedly.

"I sense that Rain has fallen in battle along with Dawn…however, Beco, Mark, and Sha have also fallen. It seems the Unversed have stopped appearing as well." Light said as Sora scratched his head.

"This is a good thing, right?" Sora asked curiously.

"It is a mixed blessing. While we have successfully defeated three of our enemies, we have lost two of our comrades." Light said as he silently mourned the loss of his two friends.

"Then everything is proceeding exactly as planned." Garland said, earning disdainful looks from Sora and Light, respectfully.

"Plan? You mean Vanitas's plan?" Sora asked as Garland nodded.

"Yes. Soon the worlds will tremble once again as the X-Blade is forged once more into the hands of Vanitas!" Garland declared.

"Why Vanitas? Why him? What makes him any different than anyone else who has wielded the X-Blade?" Light asked.

"Yeah, why not someone else like Xehanort?" Sora asked curiously. Garland simply snorted indignantly.

"Xehanort might be responsible for Vanitas's birth, but Vanitas is a being of his own. He possesses a heart of pure darkness and yet he does not become a Heartless. Xehanort's heart was also of pure darkness but was sustained by the body of another, which allowed his heart from being consumed by it. Vanitas has a heart of pure darkness and yet is not consumed by it. He is practically the embodiment of darkness itself." Garland explained.

"Then why hasn't he struck before now? He could have chosen any time to make his move so why hasn't he yet?" Sora asked.

"Vanitas is no fool. He will strike when the moment suits him." Garland replied before glancing up slightly.

"Ah, it seems the other Heart-Bound Master approaches." He added as Sora and Light looked over their shoulders to see Aqua approaching on her Keyblade Rider. She touched down and dismissed her Rider, replacing it with her Keyblade before approaching on foot.

" Hope I'm not too late." Aqua said as her helmet disappeared.

"Not at all, Lady Aqua. You've arrived just in time." Light replied.

"I feel it fair to warn you, Heart-Bound, that as long as at least one of us Keyblades survive, the Master is invincible and that includes you, brother." Garland said as Sora's eyes widened and he looked at Light in surprise.

"Is this true, Kingdom Key?" Sora asked as Light lowered his head slightly.

"It's true, Sora. Master Yen Sid confirmed yesterday evening. We have to defeat all the Keyblades to purge the fragments of the X-Blade from them. Once all the fragments have been purged, then the master, the X-Blade incarnate, will be vulnerable." Aqua explained as Sora lowered his head sadly.

"But, Kingdom Key-..." Sora said as he looked up at Light.

"Weep not, Master Sora, for our deaths are not true deaths at all. No, we will merely lose our human forms and return to our rightful forms at the side of our Heart-Bound. Even those who have rebelled and truly turned against their Heart-Bound will be subjugated and forced back to their chosen wielders. I have known of this fate for a while now, with the passing of Des…that is our fate, yet I accept it knowing that I will remain at your side for the remainder of your days, Master Sora. That is my oath to you." Light said as Sora gave him a touched smile. Even Aqua was smiling as she clutched her Keyblade close.

"Thank you." Sora said as Light nodded back with a smile of his own. The smile then vanished as he turned towards Garland.

"And now, Master Sora, I shall do for you this final service before returning to your side. I shall clear the path for you and Heart-Bound Master Aqua to pass beyond this gate and slay the creature that lies within." Light said as he pointed his sword at Garland who snorted in amusement.

"Then is a fight to the death?" he asked as Light glared at him.

"It is…no matter the outcome of this fight, neither of us shall walk away. We shall both fight, and we shall both fall by either each other's swords or our own." Light said as Garland laughed. (Battle music cue: Battle Scene "Arrange" – Dissidia Final Fantasy OST, originally from Final Fantasy I)

"Then I shall not hold back!" He shouted as he hefted his massive sword up closer to him. Light and Garland quickly leapt at each other, their swords clashing for a moment before they shoved each other back. Light stabbed his sword into the ground and thrust upward, sending a line of crisp white light towards Garland who quickly dodged to avoid the attack. Sora and Aqua's helmets quickly reappeared on their heads. Sora was about to jump into battle but Aqua put a hand on his shoulder.

"_Sora, wait. Kingdom Key is giving us an opening. With his brother distracted, we can slip past and get to work on whittling down the Master's defenses so that we can strike at the right moment."_ Aqua said via D-Link.

"_Alright, I'll follow your lead."_ Sora replied a little hesitantly. He wanted to help Light but he knew there was nothing he could do at that point to help him considering what the outcome would be. Finally Light had shoved Garland far enough away from the door and instantly Aqua and Sora bolted towards it, slamming against the door on the right side and pushing it open, slipping in through the opening before Garland even noticed.

"You've failed in keeping them out brother! Now the Master will surely fall!" Light said as he and Garland locked swords. Garland laughed in clear amusement.

"You naïve imbecile! Don't you think I would have done something if I didn't want them to get to the Master?" Garland said as he shoved Light away.

"You mean your plan to help Vanitas includes the Master's defeat, or do you expect the Master to kill the Heart-Bound?" Light asked. Garland laughed again.

"Oh my Master has something special in store for them. In fact at the moment, we share a common goal to defeat the Master." Garland replied as he swung his massive sword around, causing a portion of the tip to launch out on a chain attached to the inside of the sword towards Light and crack over his head like a whip before retracting and returning its wielder's hand. Light quickly leapt into the air and swung his blade across in front of him, creating seven clones of his sword made of a glowing red energy. The swords immediately launched themselves towards Garland who quickly dodged the attack. When Garland looked up at Light again, he saw the Keyblade had turned and started running away towards the castle doors. Before he could reach the gates, he was knocked to the ground by four glowing red bolts of energy. He then saw Garland land between him and the gates.

"I'm afraid that I cannot let you past, brother." Garland said before swinging his sword, conjuring two large spinning black tornados that started moving towards Light. Light quickly turned and ran away from the tornados which soon dissipated.

"Come, and show me your strength." Garland said as Light dropped back into his battle stance with a determined gaze. (End Battle Music)

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Kairi, Ion, Keep, and Mickey were each looking towards the castle in the distance when Keep noticed something in the distance.

"Hey Ion, what's that over there?" Keep asked as she pointed at a moving object that seemed to be moving away from the castle and towards them.

"It's Riku!" Kairi said as Riku slid up towards them, dismissing his Keyblade Rider.

"I sensed that Sha has fallen in battle. I also sensed Dawn's fall as well. I'm sorry Riku." Ion said as Riku looked down at his Keyblade.

"It's alright. He's back where he belongs, but he did give me a warning." Riku replied as Terra dropped in from overhead via Keyblade Rider.

"Did I miss anything?" Terra asked.

"Riku was about to tell us about a warning he got from Dawn." Ion replied.

"What did he say, Riku?" Mickey asked.

"He said that Vanitas is going to use one of us as his new host once the Master's defeated. He didn't get a chance to tell me who's before he died." Riku explained, as Terra groaned in frustration.

"I got the same impression from Mark of Mastery but he killed himself before telling me who it was." Terra said as Kairi looked worried.

"Which of us could it be then?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know. But one thing's for certain. We can't let the master fall before we've found Vanitas and stopped him." Riku said as the others nodded.

"Then what do we do?" Ion asked.

"We'll need to start with Ven. If Vanitas is going to be hiding in someone, it's him. They are technically of one heart after all." Terra said. Riku then spotted something flying towards them in the distance.

"I don't think we'll have to look far, because here he comes now!" Riku exclaimed as he saw Ven and Wind flying towards them as fast as they could. Wind had a panicked expression on his face as did Ven's helmetless head.

"What do you suppose has those two worried?" Mickey asked. Their answer came in the form of the ground shaking.

"Uh-oh, I think I have an IDEA!" Terra exclaimed as his, Riku, and Kairi's armor quickly reactivated. From the ground beneath where Ven and Wind were flying, burst the Iron Imprisoner but now it was in its fourth and final form. (Battle Music Cue: Black Powder – Birth by Sleep OST).

"Ven!" Terra exclaimed as he started running towards them. Riku was about to join them but he spotted an odd flashing white light coming from the top of the mesa that was now covered in melting snow. He looked closer and spotted Cloud and Sephiroth dueling each other. Riku was now torn between helping Ven, Wind, and Terra against the Iron Imprisoner, or helping Cloud against Sephiroth. Finally Riku sighed in defeat and summoned his Keyblade Rider before flying off towards the mesa, leaving Kairi, Mickey, Ion, and Keep alone.

"Come on, we've gotta help our friends!" Mickey said but before he could even move, a row of glowing blue swords was fired into his path before they ignited into a wall of blue flames.

"I'm afraid I can't let you guys do that." They heard a voice say. They turned and saw a blurry Seeker standing nearby with two swords in hand.

"Seeker!" Ion exclaimed as Keep quickly reverted to sword form in his hands and he dropped into his battle stance.

"What's happening to you? You're all…fuzzy." Kairi said as Seeker calmly and casually looked at his hands before chuckling.

"Oh this old thing…It would seem that old Darkness Seeker has outlived his usefulness." Seeker said. His voice was different now.

"Seeker? What are you talking about?" Ion asked, completely confused. Seeker chuckled as his yellow eyes turned cyan blue with cat-like slits.

"Hmm, well I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore. Pretty soon, everything I've worked to accomplish will come to fruition. Allow me to introduce myself…" Seeker said as a hazy blackness started rising from his back and shoulders like a Nobody would when fading into the darkness. Slowly Seeker started to vanish, revealing an entirely different person underneath. It was a man with large spiked orange hair that gave the illusion it was a number of mechanical orange gears, two piercing blue cats eyes similar to Dawn's single eye. His nose and mouth however was hidden by a black mask. He wore an orange metal choker that gave the illusion of a mechanical gear again. He was dressed largely in black. A black shirt with the right sleeve torn off, revealing a tattoo on his right shoulder of two half-gears arranged in an S shape. He also wore baggy black pants, a pair of black tabi socks, and wicker sandals. On his shoulders were two orange, parallel facing half-gears. Around his waist was an orange belt, once again with the gear motif.

"Who are you?" Ion asked in shock.

"Why, the name's Gear…Void Gear."

* * *

**End Chapter 37.**

Show of hands, who was surprised by this revelation? (Author immediately smacks his own forehead in realization that he can't count the hands for the obvious reason that he can't see anyone through his computer.) Well you get the idea. Tee-hee.


	38. The Keyblade War Part 3

(Battle Music Cue: Unforgettable – Birth by Sleep OST)

Ven and Wind were flying away from the Iron Imprisoner IV as fast as they could.

"Oh man! It's still gaining on us!" Ven exclaimed.

"This thing just won't quit!" Wind added. Finally the Iron Imprisoner stopped and created a swirling wall of flames causing Ven and Wind to start getting pulled towards it.

"Uh-oh! What do we do now?" Ven asked.

"VEN!" they heard a familiar voice shout. They then saw an orb of glowing red energy fly towards and impact on the massive Unversed in a burst of blinding energy, stunning it for a moment, allowing Wind and Ven to recover. They looked and saw Terra standing on the ground with his Keyblade and armor summoned. The two quickly landed next to him.

"Thanks for the save, Terra. I thought we were goners." Ven said as he caught his breath.

"We managed to defeat it once but it came back even stronger!" Wind said as he too caught his breath.

"I've faced all four forms before! If we can defeat it this time, we'll win!" Terra said as the towering Unversed came back around and glared at the three, raising its flaming hammer.

"What do we do?" Ven asked.

"Hit it with a shoot lock!" Terra ordered as he pulled out the Ultima Cannon and fired another shot. Ven immediately started Multi-Vortex. Wind quickly moved his shuriken around to in front of him, making it spin in midair and create a large swirling compressed sphere of torrential winds.

"Wayward AEROGA!" Wind shouted as he leapt up and kicked the sphere with both feet, launching it towards the Iron Imprisoner which was already stunned from the two prior Shoot Locks. The sphere exploded in a brief swirl of cutting winds before the Unversed shook itself awake again before disappearing in a flash of light.

"Where did it go?" Ven asked before the ground started shaking again but instead of the Iron Imprisoner bursting from the ground, instead they found themselves surrounded in a circle of glowing red jagged chunks. Ven and Terra recognized the chunks immediately.

"Say, aren't those pieces of the wall from Mirage Arena?" Ven asked before Terra grabbed him and pulled him clear just seconds before one of the chunks blew past them with a red glow. Wind had managed to dodge as well.

"What in the-?" Ven exclaimed.

"Watch it! It's throwing those chunks at us!" Terra exclaimed as they continued dodging the chunks as they continued flying towards the three of them. Finally the chunks stopped moving and the glow around them disappeared but the chunks themselves remained.

"Looks like we made it." Wind said before suddenly becoming trapped within a cage that looked like it was made of red hot metal.

"OW! HOT!" he exclaimed as Ven and Terra spotted the Iron Imprisoner appear behind him.

"WIND!" Ven exclaimed as Wind turned and looked up in time to see the hammer come crashing down on him, smashing the cage along with him.

"NO!" Terra exclaimed as the Iron Imprisoner started spinning around with its hammer held out to the side.

"Watch it Ven! Ven? VEN!" Terra exclaimed as he saw Ven running towards where Wind was lying unconscious. The Iron Imprisoner started spinning towards him but Ven quickly fired off his Lightning Ray shoot lock, driving the Unversed back a little. Terra then leapt in with his Dark Volley shoot lock, pounding the Unversed with waves of dark energy spheres, giving Ven enough time to reach his fallen Keyblade.

"Wind! Wind are you alright? Speak to me!" Ven yelled as he tried to shake Wind awake but to no avail.

"VEN!" He heard Terra yell. Ven spun around to see the Iron Imprisoner raise its hammer. Ven managed to dodge roll just in time to avoid a direct hit. The hammer happened to miss Wind's unconscious form as well.

"There's no stopping it. We've hit it with everything we've got and it's still going!" Ven exclaimed as he rejoined Terra.

"It takes a lot to bring this thing down!" Terra replied. The giant unversed was suddenly surrounded by the swirling flames again, dragging the two of them towards it.

"I can't break free!" Ven shouted.

"Keep trying!" Terra replied. They managed to break free and get clear less than a second before the flames around the unversed exploded. Just when they thought they were safe, the unversed moved to a different side of the "arena" and did the same thing again, pulling them towards it.

"Not again!" Ven yelled as he and Terra struggled against the force of the attack until the flames exploded prematurely, before they had reached it. Once again however, the Iron Imprisoner moved to another spot, much closer this time, and started pulling them in again.

"We can't keep this up!" Terra grunted before they suddenly heard the Imprisoner roar in pain and felt themselves fall free of its attack. They both turned to see Wind's shuriken embedded between the "eyes."

"Huh?" Terra and Ven both asked in surprise before they heard Wind shouting…

"Wayward BIG **WAVE!**"

They then saw Wind leap up and plow his right elbow into the back of the Iron Imprisoner before delivering a fierce punch to the middle of its back with his left fist, causing a sudden multitude of magic filled spheres to burst from the Unversed.

"Wind!" Ven exclaimed with a smile, that is until he noticed that Wind's hair color was fading away to grey.

"He's…dying." Terra said in soft shock. Ven was equally shocked. They then noticed as the Iron Imprisoner started to recover from the attack. Wind glared up at it and grinned.

"Tsh. Well, if I can't live to become a King, I'll die to become a hero. Ven…you better become King one day!" Wind shouted before he recalled his shuriken to his hand while glowing with a radiant white aura while being surrounded by a swirling tornado of grey winds. The tornado expanded to engulf the Iron Imprisoner which was helpless as it tried to break free but to no avail. Finally the entire tornado compressed itself down into a small sphere, Unversed and all before exploding in a sudden burst of white light. When the light faded, the "arena" chunks had vanished. (End Battle Music).

"Wind." Ven said in stunned shock at what he had witnessed. However, what happened next caught them completely off guard…

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

(Battle Music Cue: One Winged Angel – Final Fantasy VII) (A/N: There've been several renditions of this song…I leave it to you to choose your favorite for this scene)

At the top of the mesa, Cloud found himself knocked onto his back from a particularly fierce attack from Sephiroth. He nearly slid off the top of the mesa but he managed to drive his bandage wrapped sword into the ground in time.

"Pathetic. I expected more from you Cloud. You're as useless now as you ever were before." Sephiroth said as he started to slowly approach the struggling Cloud.

"Shut up!" Cloud spat angrily.

"Cloud! Don't give into your rage!" Sephiroth and Cloud both looked and saw Riku fly in on his Keyblade Rider, dismissing it back to its Keyblade form and riding the momentum to lock swords with Sephiroth.

"Well-well…Xehanort's old puppet." Sephiroth said before Riku pushed himself off of the One Winged Angel and landed near where Cloud was still struggling to pull himself up, but the melting ice was making it difficult. Riku quickly grabbed Cloud by the wrist and pulled him up onto the mesa.

"I might just be an old puppet to you, but I'm not here to fight you…I'm here to help Cloud." Riku said.

"I don't need help! Just stay out of my way, Riku!" Cloud replied.

"How many times have you faced Sephiroth before now? How many of those times have you won? Answer me that and I'll leave!" Riku said as Cloud froze with a grimace on his face. Sephiroth merely remained patiently where he was, his toying smirk still spread across his face. He did however let a chuckle escape.

"What can I do, Riku? I just…I just can't stop him." Cloud said with a grimace.

"Face it, Cloud. You cannot survive without the darkness within you. Give in to it. Embrace it. Then it will all be over soon." Sephiroth said.

"He's right to a point, Cloud. Only a rare few like Kairi can live without the darkness in their hearts, but the rest of us generally accept the darkness that is within us. We live with it and accept it. Accepting it and embracing it are two different things." Riku said before noticing Sephiroth suddenly launch towards him. Riku blocked in time, the force of the blow launching both him and Sephiroth off the mesa.

"I'd like to see how well you live with your darkness. Show me." Sephiroth said with a smile before he launched Riku down towards the ground. Riku quickly activated his Keyblade Rider and managed to launch himself back up into the air towards Sephiroth before dismissing it back to its Keyblade form and locking swords with the One Winged Angel.

"Oh, where did you find this strength?" Sephiroth asked with dark curiosity.

"It's because I've accepted my darkness. I'm not afraid of you." Riku replied before leaping over Sephiroth and landing back on the mesa. He quickly turned and fired off a Thundaga before Sephiroth caught up with him, the two exchanging fierce blows at lightning fast speeds, sending off a shower of sparks every time their swords connected until finally Sephiroth pulled back and took a fierce swing, sending a wave of three vertical beams of blue light at Riku. Riku quickly dodged them and hurled another Thundaga at Sephiroth but it was deflected. It was enough for Riku, however to enter his tier one unique Command Style, Road Walker.

"You're not going to win this time, Sephiroth!" Riku said as Sephiroth chuckled.

"You can try but you'll find only despair awaits you no matter the outcome." Sephiroth said before blindly spinning around and blocking a blow from Cloud.

"That's enough, out of you Sephiroth!" Cloud said as Sephiroth chuckled again.

"You cannot escape from the darkness…you know that more than anyone, Cloud." Sephiroth said with a dark smile.

"You're right, Sephiroth. He cannot escape his darkness…no one can. But he can accept it like everyone else." Riku said. Cloud looked contemplative as he continued pressing against Sephiroth's sword. Sephiroth's smile vanished for a moment as he noticed the expression of Cloud's face. Sephiroth's gaze then turned towards Riku. Before any of them could blink, Sephiroth had knocked Cloud onto his back and came at Riku with eight fierce swings of his Masamune, his infamous Octaslash. Riku was overwhelmed by the sudden attack and knocked over the edge, embedding his Keyblade into the wall to keep from falling. He looked up and saw Sephiroth standing over him with his usual dark smile on his face.

"Tell me what you cherish most…give me the pleasure of taking it away." Sephiroth said as he pointed the tip of the Masamune down at Riku. Riku glared up at him as he started glowing with white-purple energy, making the One Winged Angel pause.

"I pity you. You just don't get it." Riku said before he pushed himself off the side of the mesa wall, and aimed his Keyblade at the One Winged Angel. Suddenly a glowing white, semi-transparent Keyblade appeared in his offhand. It was made of white angelic feathers for the shaft and guard, a small purple-red dragon wing for the tooth, a cyan blue eye coupling both pieces together but with the Heartless emblem still as the keychain. Riku aimed both blades at Sephiroth who watched curiously.

"There's nothing that I don't cherish!" Riku shouted before firing two bolts of energy from the two Keyblades, a bolt of darkness from the feathered Keyblade and a bolt of light from Way to Dawn. The two bolts swirled around each other as they flew towards Sephiroth, splitting off before coming at him from both sides. The bolts finally came together and exploded immediately on contact in a burst of light and dark energy, consuming Sephiroth in the blast. It was his third and final shoot lock, Shadow Flare.

"It's all up to you, Cloud." Riku said as he continued falling towards the ground, spinning in the air to land feet first on the ground, his armor bearing the full brunt of the damage. The armor dismissed itself as Riku looked up towards the mesa. Sephiroth was unscathed from the attack.

"Pathetic." Sephiroth said as he turned back towards Cloud. When he turned back he saw Cloud looking at him with an expression he hadn't seen before. Sephiroth furrowed his brow curiously as he tried to identify the expression.

"You and Riku are both right, Sephiroth. I cannot escape my darkness…but I can accept it." Cloud said as Sephiroth arched a curious eyebrow.

"How can you accomplish what you lack the knowledge to start?" Sephiroth asked with a smirk. He then felt a strange sensation overtake him, like his back was getting lighter. He glanced over at his lone wing on the right side of his back and to his shock, his wing was molting rapidly.

"I can start…by not being afraid of you anymore." Cloud said as he grabbed the bandages on his sword, and with one tug, the bandages came loose and fell to the ground, revealing a shimmering silver multi-part sword. Sephiroth quickly knelt down and charged at him.

"That's enough!" he said but before he could attack, a fierce upward swing from Cloud, knocked him into the air. He looked down and saw Cloud chasing after him.

"There's nothing in these worlds I don't cherish, either!" Cloud said as he spun his sword overhead for a second before swinging it forward towards Sephiroth, causing the blade to glow a light blue and all six parts of the blade disassemble and take their place in a hovering circle around Sephiroth. The One Winged Angel looked around in disbelief at what was happening. Cloud proceeded to grab the first blade and fly straight at Sephiroth, striking him across the stomach. Then he grabbed the second blade and struck again. He did this a total of five times before grabbing the sixth blade and flying up overhead Sephiroth and coming down with a fierce blow that caused the five remaining blades to fall down along with him. Cloud landed feet first on the mesa, holding the base of his sword in his hand while the five additional blades embedded themselves in the ground around him in a circle. (A/N: Yes that was Omnislash)

"Stay where you belong…in my memories." Cloud said as he looked up at Sephiroth who was becoming blurry and semi-transparent. (End Battle Music) Sephiroth merely smiled down at him.

"I will…never…be a memory." Sephiroth said before becoming consumed in a cloud of darkness and vanishing. Cloud continued staring up at where Sephiroth had vanished, not noticing as Riku arrived back on top of the mesa via Keyblade Rider.

"You've only taken the first steps, Cloud. Stay close with your friends and cherish them always. Then Sephiroth won't even be able to touch you." Riku said as Cloud looked at him, allowing a small smile to appear on his face.

"Thank you…Riku." Cloud said as Riku smirked and nodded. What happened next, however, caught them completely off guard…

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Sora and Aqua burst into the empty courtyard of the castle, running straight towards the main hall of the castle.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Aqua asked as she followed Sora inside.

"Positive. This is where the X-Blade twins are." Sora said, causing Aqua to pause.

"Twins?" She asked. Before Sora could reply, the entire castle started shaking. Amidst the shaking they could hear the growling of what sounded like a feral beast growling in pain. Then they saw, piercing through the shadows was four massive glowing yellow eyes so close together that one pair was practically on top of the other.

"I think they've changed a bit since I last saw them." Sora said as he and Aqua backed up towards the still open doors. They then saw a massive black hand with hideous white claws and a large metal bracer around its wrist with what appeared to be the links to a large broken chain dangling from it slammed down onto the ground near them. A large right hand with matching bracer slammed down soon after it. Then, from the shadows crawled a massive four eyed beast with a large grey metal helmet that covered almost all of its face except for a large mouth with rows of teeth that looked almost exactly like the X-Blade's incomplete form. In the center of the helmet, between the eyes, was the symbol for Kai.

"It's the X-Blade fragments! For everyone of the Keyblades that fall, the X-Blade fragment that gave them their human form is purged, and for every fragment that's purged, the incomplete X-Blade becomes even more unstable!" Aqua explained as the doors to the main hall slammed shut.

"How do we know when all the fragments have been purged?" Sora asked as Aqua shrugged.

"It beats me, but we might as well do what we can to soften this thing up for the final blow! You ready Sora?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.

"Ready!" Sora replied as they both dropped into their battle stances.

"Then let's do this!" Aqua said before they both charged at the X-Blade, not at all sure what would happen, yet confident that they would succeed.

* * *

**End Chapter 38.**


	39. The Keyblade War Part 4

"Gear? But that's impossible! You were executed by the master for treason!" Ion exclaimed. A smirk could be seen forming from behind Gear's mask, coupled with a menacing chuckle.

"It would seem that rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated. Besides, you would not believe how many people can be fooled by some simple trickery." Gear replied as he crossed his arms.

"I'm confused. Who's Void Gear?" Kairi said as she scratched her head.

"Void Gear was the name of Vanitas's Keyblade!" Mickey replied as he stood ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Well-well, the boat-boy-king gets one right. Bravo, I applaud you." Gear said in extreme sarcasm, even clapping with mock enthusiasm.

"Alright, I want to know. How did you survive the Master's execution?" Ion asked. He was still holding Keep in her sword form. Gear chuckled again before giving a shrug.

"Well I don't mind regaling the lot of you with a little story. You see, the plan was perfect from the get-go. Garland, Sha, Beco, Mark, Seeker, and I all met up with each other here within this very world, beneath that mesa over there. There we discussed amongst ourselves, who we were and how we came to be. It was during that point, that I sensed my Heart-Bound was still alive. I even received a message from him, giving me my instructions. I shared my plans with my fellow Keyblades and they were rather eager to cooperate. Well I had to demonstrate my power first to convince them but they were convinced. Seeker became the most loyal of them while the rest of them merely decided to go along with the plan out of a desire to bring about the creation of the X-Blade once again since it was the X-Blade that brought us to life like this. We journeyed to the Master's castle, secure in our plans." Gear explained.

"Then why fake your own death?" Ion asked as Gear glared at him.

"I'm getting to that, idiot. After a while, we were beginning to fear that the Master was getting suspicious, that we had a plan of our own. So we concocted a little scheme to ensure that the plan remained secret. We created two replicas, one of me, and one of Seeker. We sent the replica of me to go antagonize the newly arrived Dawn and give him the impression that I sought to overthrow the master, which I did and still do. The Seeker Replica was merely to impersonate Seeker. To be the warm body that was present at my execution when in reality, Seeker and I were watching from a different spot. When the Master executed my Replica, I would force my being into Seeker, purging the X-Blade fragment from him in the process, giving the Master the feeling that at least one of us had died but not who. As a result, I was able to disguise myself as Seeker himself, and even use his own abilities. This way, I was able to keep a careful eye on what happened and make sure everything went according to plan." Gear explained.

"And what of the Seeker Replica?" Ion asked.

"Oh I disposed of him privately once the execution was over." Gear replied.

"But why go through all the trouble of killing one of your most loyal co-conspirators when you could have just left the plan in his hands?" Ion asked as Gear snorted.

"I wasn't about to entrust any of them with the plan! They'd ruin it as sure as the worlds. Garland is a battle obsessed nimrod, Sha was an absolute block head, Beco lacked the energy and willpower to do anything, Mark had too much ambition and to be quite honest, I couldn't be sure of his loyalty in the first place. Seeker was the most loyal and it was his idea to sacrifice himself and let me take over his body. To be honest, though, I suspected that if Seeker was entrusted with the plan, he would have stabbed me in the back before I could blink. No, I was the only one to entrust with the plan. I'm a man destined to be Emperor after all." Gear said boastfully.

"You are certainly Wind's brother." Ion mumbled.

"So why are you here telling us these things now?" Mickey asked.

"Oh I'm just here to make sure the countdown continues on schedule." Gear replied with a smirk.

"Countdown? What countdown?" Kairi asked, confused. They then saw a bright flash of light. They all turned and saw the explosion caused by Wind's final attack to bring down the Iron Imprisoner. Gear smiled and chuckled.

"That's eight down, five remaining." Gear said as he glared directly at Ion and Keep who realized what he meant.

"You're counting on all of us Keyblades being defeated! You're keeping track of how many of us fall!" Ion exclaimed as Gear grinned under his mask as he summoned a pair of glowing blue swords in his hands.

"You catch on quick. Because when the countdown reaches zero, then my mission has been a success. Now then, to continue the countdown." Gear said as he dropped into his battle stance. Ion, Kairi, and Mickey each dropped into their battle stances as well.

"We won't let you get away with this, Gear!" Kairi said as her helmet formed over her head.

"Oh, but here's what's so delicious about the plan. You see, as long as a single one of us Keyblades still survive in this form, the Master is invincible. As long as we live, your beloved Sora is fighting an unbeatable enemy and could quite easily be killed. However if you let all of us Keyblades fall, you allow Vanitas to return with the X-Blade in his power. Quite a conundrum isn't it, Princess?" Gear said with a grin. Kairi's helmet vanished, revealing an expression that clearly showed her in a state of deep confusion.

"It's a hard decision isn't it, Princess? Perhaps I should go ahead and be rid of you so that-…what?" Gear gasped as his eyes widened in shock. The Ion, Kairi, and Mickey looked at each other curiously, unsure of what was happening.

"A-are you sure?" Gear asked.

"Sure about what?" Kairi asked confused. Gear then grinned sinisterly.

"Oh-ho, how very cunning of you, Master…yes I'll do it, immediately." Gear said as Ion realized what he was doing.

"He's communicating with Vanitas! But how?" Ion exclaimed.

"On the nose, my blindfolded idiot. I've got a special something for you, Princess. It appears that Vanitas wants to deal with you personally upon his return. Why, I won't say. But I know it's going to be just perfect for you." Gear said as Kairi dropped back into her battle stance.

"Vanitas isn't going to get away with any of this!" Kairi exclaimed as Gear laughed.

"Let's see how tough you are when you're trapped in the Corridors of DARKNESS!" Gear shouted as he thrust forward his hand and caused a black sphere that resembled a reflect sphere only solid black with the white hexagonal outlines to appear around Kairi.

"Kairi!" Mickey and Ion exclaimed.

"It's too late! She's trapped within the Corridors of Darkness. She'll remain that way for as long as I want her too!" Gear said with a grin. Ion and Mickey glared at him as they dropped back into their battle stances.

"Vanitas or no, we're going to take you down, Gear! Once and for all!" Ion shouted as Gear dropped into his battle stance again with a grin.

"Let's rumble, idiots!" Gear replied as their battle began.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

(Battle Music Cue: Chaos "Last Battle 1" – Dissidia Final Fantasy OST)

Light and Garland had been battling each other for several minutes, neither getting anywhere. They were stalemated.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Know your place!" Garland laughed as he took a vicious swing with his greatsword but Light managed to leap back in time before casting Thundaga, striking the nemesis on the head with a bolt of lightning.

"Why do you fight for Vanitas? Why do you fight on the side of Darkness?" Light asked as Garland laughed.

"I do not fight for the Darkness! I fight because it is a part of the cycle of battle! The worlds go in cycles, where there is a period of great light followed by a period of great darkness! I fight to continue the cycle!" Garland replied as he slammed the greatsword into the ground, causing a sudden burst of rocky spikes to shoot up from the ground, precariously close to Light had he not leapt up in time and summoned the red energy clones of his sword back down towards Garland, but the nemesis dodged clear in time before hurling the greatsword into the air like a boomerang straight towards Light. Light managed to dodge the attack and landed on the ground feet first.

"You should know, brother, that with every second wasted in battle with me, your Heart-Bound comes closer and closer to meeting his demise! The Master is invincible while we still live! Go ahead and FINISH IT!" Garland shouted as he swung at Light again, sending out the whip section of his greatsword but Light ducked in time.

"But defeating you also awakens Vanitas! I will not allow him to return!" Light said before leaping in and locking swords with Garland once more.

"You are an imbecile! You cannot overcome fate! Would you rather see your Heart-Bound die than have a fighting chance to live and defeat Vanitas?" Garland asked, making Light pause.

"What?"

"I told you I do not fight for darkness. I fight so that the cycle may continue. I side not with either light or darkness. I side with whichever side will lead to the continuation of the cycle of conflict!" Garland exclaimed as he shoved Light away and brought his greatsword around again but they locked swords once more.

"Then what do you hope to gain from Vanitas's return?" Light asked as he glared at Garland between their two blades.

"The continuation of the cycle. Your heart-bound has proven on more than one occasion that darkness's turn in the cycle is coming to an end for now. With Vanitas's defeat, the cycle will transition from Darkness to Light. However, I will confess…when Vanitas returns, the odds will be against all of the Heart-Bound." Garland said as they pulled back for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Light asked but Garland remained silent.

"Brother…I am fighting you for a reason. To make my last moments in this form enjoyable through combat. I ask you now, to hold back no further and to give me everything you have." Garland said as Light took a deep breath.

"Very well. I shall shine brighter!" Light said as he became enveloped within a glow of bright light. Garland raised his sword as well, glowing with a wild red and black aura.

"Glorious soul!" He shouted before revealing both of them in different clothes. The horns on Light's helmet were swept forward now and his armor more colorful (Warrior of Light's Dissidia EX Mode), while Garland's armor had turned a brighter shade of silver and his cape was now white with black thorn like designs near the edges. His sword was also glowing a bright red. (Garland's Dissidia EX Mode)

"Let us put our whole being into this, our final attack!" Garland declared as Light nodded. They both knew that by putting their being into the attack that it was certain death, regardless of who won.

"Very well. I give my all, to this sword! Prepare!" Light exclaimed as he charged forward, leaving a trail of light around him as he ran.

"Know your limits!" Garland exclaimed as he too charged. They both swung at each other but Garland missed his mark while Light's attack connected.

"You're finished!" Light exclaimed as a powerful beam of light pierced through Garland where Light's sword had struck. (End Battle Music) Light landed behind Garland who dropped to one knee in pain, and glanced over his shoulder as both his and Light's colors started fading away.

"You fought well, brother. For the sake of the cycle, I pray your Heart-bound succeeds." Garland said before he was enveloped within a white light and dissipated in a rising cluster of shining sparks of light. Light turned towards the castle where he sensed Sora and Aqua both still battling the Master inside.

"Sora…It's all up to you now." Light said before he disappeared the same way that Garland had mere seconds before.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

(Battle Music Cue: Dark Impetus – Birth by Sleep Final Mix)

With Kairi trapped in the Corridors of Darkness, Gear leapt at Ion and Mickey who quickly blocked his attack but he flipped over them, and quickly spun around with both blades in a low swing but Mickey and Ion both leapt clear just in time. Gear rolled backwards before leaping into the air and hurling a large X shaped wave of fire at them. Ion blocked but the sheer force of the blow knocked him onto his back with a grunt of pain. Gear didn't say a word but remained smiling. He then glanced towards the castle with a grin from behind his masked face.

"Ah…It seems that Light and Garland have slain each other. How unexpected, but still…it makes my job easier." Gear said before blocking a blow from Mickey and leaping up into the air. He then angled himself towards Ion and launched himself forward, leaving visible shockwave where he launched. Ion quickly lifted Keep's weapon form but Gear landed less a few feet in front of him and placed both of his swords parallel to each other, creating a single great blade of blue energy. He faked a swing with the blade and delivered a fierce swing to Ion's stomach, causing him to fall towards the ground. He then heard what sounded like metal striking metal, along with a sharp pain in his chest. He knew he hadn't been stabbed but he sure felt like it. He looked at Keep's weapon form and he immediately knew why, his eyes widening in shock and horror.

"No! KEEP!" Ion shrieked as he saw that a clear diagonal cut had appeared along Keep's bladed form, the large arrow shaped blade had been cut in two.

"_Ion."_ Keep whispered weakly before her sword form vanished in the rising sparks of light, part of the chain attached to them vanishing with her.

"Keep! No!" Ion said in horror as he realized that Keep had been killed.

"Eleven down, two to go." Gear grinned before spinning around to block an attack from Mickey.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten about you." Gear chuckled as he launched the Mouse King away and lunged towards him. Ion however sat on his knees, looking at his hand where mere seconds ago, he had held Keep's weapon form.

"Keep." He said in stunned shock. He then looked up at the black sphere where Kairi was trapped inside. He then turned and watched as Mickey and Gear exchanged blows with each other. His expression of shock vanished, replaced by a look of angered determination.

"Keep…" He said as he raised his other hand shakily towards his blindfold, "…what I do is not out of revenge…but of justice. I will join you soon, my beloved sister."

With that, he ripped the blindfold off his face, revealing two shimmering crystal blue eyes. He stretched out his hand and summoned forth his Keyblade form, Oblivion. With an angered yell he charged at Gear who had just kicked Mickey away. Gear heard him coming and turned with a surprised expression. Gear quickly connected his swords into a double blade (A/N: Think Darth Maul) and blocked just as Ion came in with a fierce swing. The two began exchanging lightning fast blows, Gear having to move quickly just to keep up and block. Finally Gear leapt back, clearing Ion's reach and landed on one knee with a smug smirk.

"It seems I've struck a nerve." Gear said before Ion pointed his Keyblade form at him silently. The Keyblade began to glow with white energy before a sky blue circle of light started to form around the tip like it were about to seal a keyhole. Gear quickly leapt up and hurled his double blade at him just as the circle completed and fired a beam of sky blue energy at him. The beam impacted on Gear's chest, piercing through him and out his back. However Gear's double blade pierced through Ion's chest, stopping half way so that the blade was evenly run through him. (End Battle Music) Gear landed hard on his chest while Ion collapsed on his back, the blue double blade and Ion's Keyblade form both vanishing. Gear looked up as he saw Ion's black clothing start to turn grey along with his own colors. The sight made him grin under his mask.

"Thirteen down…the stage is set…Master." Gear said before he became enveloped within a black oozing mass and melted away. Ion looked up at the sky as he lay on his back. He looked over at Mickey who was quickly approaching.

"Your highness…Get the other Heart-Bound to the castle, quickly." Ion said before he vanished in the rising sparkling lights. Mickey stood in silence, staring at where Ion had vanished. He then heard a pair of footsteps approaching.

"Mickey!" a voice called. Mickey turned and saw Ven and Terra running up to join him.

"Is that all of them? Was that the last of the Keyblades?" Ven asked as Mickey nodded.

"Yeah. All of them have been restored to their original forms." Mickey replied.

"Then that means the Master's vulnerable now." Terra said as he summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at Ven.

"Wha-Terra! What are you doing?" Ven yelped as he leapt back in shock.

"Making sure that Vanitas doesn't come back, Ven. I don't want to be caught off guard." Terra said as Ven summoned his own Keyblade and pointed it at Terra.

"How do we know that you're not the one Vanitas is hiding in?" Ven asked as Terra scowled.

"Because I would know! I know what it's like to have darkness in my heart, Ven! I know what it's like to be a slave to it!" Terra exclaimed.

"And you think I don't? Who do you think is responsible for Vanitas's existence in the first place? Which of us would know what Vanitas's presence feels like in their heart?" Ven asked angrily. Terra paused and lowered his Keyblade.

"You're right. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up." Terra said as Ven lowered his Keyblade as well.

"Fellas, we can't fight each other! We have to work together if we're going to find out where Vanitas is." Mickey said as both Ven and Terra lowered their heads in thought. Then Terra jerked his head back up in startled realization.

"Wait a minute, where's Kairi?" Terra asked. Mickey turned and pointed at the still active sphere of darkness.

"She's trapped inside that sphere. We've got to get her out of there!" Mickey said but before they could react they heard what sounded like a motorcycle coupled with the galloping of a horse. They turned and saw Snow riding up on a sleek white and blue motorcycle and Lightning riding up on Odin.

"We've done it! The Unversed are gone!" Snow exclaimed with a grin.

"They stopped coming once that big Unversed that was chasing Ven was defeated. We just had to clean up a few of the stragglers." Lightning added.

"Glad to hear it." Terra said as he started to approach the black sphere with his Keyblade summoned.

"What is that?" Snow asked as he dismounted his motorcycle.

"Kairi's trapped in there. We've got to-…" Ven said but was interrupted by what happened next.

* * *

**End Chapter 39.**

Up next, the battle between Aqua, Sora, and the X-Blade. Will Vanitas return? Find out in the next chapters…


	40. The XBlade Incarnate

(Battle Music Cue: Dismiss – Birth by Sleep OST)

Aqua and Sora both leapt at the massive and mutated X-Blade. Before they reached its head, a wall of large chains appeared in their path. Aqua and Sora attempted to cut through the chains but their Keyblades merely bounced off as if there was an invisible wall between them and the chains.

"Augh! We can't get through!" Aqua exclaimed. Sora looked and spotted the X-Blade's massive hands, clawing at the cobblestone floor beneath them. He then noticed the chains attached to the bracers on its wrists and an idea formed in his head.

"Aqua! Follow my lead!" Sora shouted as he ran towards the chain and took a vicious swing at the bracer, causing the X-Blade to howl in pain.

"I think that hurt him! Good thinking Sora!" Aqua shouted as she ran to the other wrist and dealt a similar blow causing the X-Blade to cry out again. This time the chains disappeared into the darkness behind the X-Blade's head. Its mouth then opened, allowing a large orb of glowing blue energy to form.

"WATCH IT!" Aqua yelped as she and Sora dove for cover just as the orb fired a massive beam of energy that vaporized the doors to the main hall but dissipated before reaching the outer gates.

"That was close." Sora said as they both climbed up onto their feet. Suddenly they saw the X-Blade start glowing with purple, red, and white energy that rose up from the surface of its skin. In front of its face, a large glowing yellow & black symbol for "Kai" appeared and a Keyblade appeared over it.

"Wayward Wind!" Aqua exclaimed.

"What does that mean?" Sora asked as the X-Blade's arms suddenly sprouted razor sharp spines and its entire body grew larger, the arms smashing through the walls and its head going through the ceiling. They also noticed that the eyes had gotten closer together, the helmet's design compensating for the changes as if by magic.

"It means another Keyblade has fallen! Another fragment's been purged! It's gotten more unstable!" Aqua replied as the X-Blade glared at them. It was about to swing at them with its arms when large chunks of debris started falling around them. Sora and Aqua looked at each other before turning and running out of the chamber into the courtyard. Soon the entire main hall collapsed in on the X-Blade.

"Is that it? Did we win?" Sora asked curiously. His answer came in the form of the ground shaking and a towering beast breaking free from the rubble. The X-Blade was now standing up on its now hound-like legs. Aside from the large metal bracers and helmet, the X-Blade had a mane of long flowing grey hair that reached the back of their legs protruding out from beneath its helmet, parts of the mane even sticking out through a few cracks in the helmet. Its entire body was a sickly grey except for the arms which were a particularly dark shade. Its upper torso was mostly hidden by the mane but was revealed from the abdomen down, revealing a set of six-pack abs. Its private areas were hidden by a large black loin cloth held together by a buckler that had the symbol for Kai on it. The X-Blade then glared down at them and reared back its massive right hand.

"Watch out!" Sora yelled as they dodged rolled and cartwheeled clear, respectively, before a massive spine covered fist plowed into the ground where they were standing mere moments ago. Luckily for the two Keyblade Masters, the fist got stuck in the crater it had made.

"Come on, Sora! Aim for the wrist!" Aqua shouted as she and Sora ran towards the X-Blade's wrist, delivering two fierce passing blows as they flew past it on opposite sides. The X-Blade roared in pain, finally yanking its arm free but knocking itself over in the process, it's right arm smashing through Des's greenhouse as it fell on its back.

"Now's our chance!" Sora shouted as they ran towards the X-Blade's ankles and started swinging at them, causing the massive beast to convulse in pain with a roar of agony.

"Did we get it?" Sora asked as he and Aqua leapt back to regroup but his hopes were dashed when he saw the X-Blade start glowing with the red, purple, and white aura again. This time two symbols for Kai appeared but with the Kingdom Key and Kingdom Key D in them.

"Kingdom Key!" Sora exclaimed in shock as he realized what had happened.

"Sora! WATCH OUT!" Aqua shouted as she spotted the X-Blade starting to stand up and nearly step on Sora in the process. Sora managed to dodge roll clear before the foot came down on where he was standing a moment ago. The X-Blade was now twice the size as it was a moment ago. The number of spines on its arm doubled in both number and length and its claws now sharper and longer. The four eyes were now like two giant number eights and again the helmet compensated. A pair of giant horns started sprouting from the sides of the helmet. From its back, sprouted two giant demonic wings and from the back of the loincloth burst a long tail. The legs on the X-Blade now sported sharper claws too.

"That leaves only two Keyblades left!" Aqua shouted as she aimed her Keyblade at the X-Blade before firing off her Rainbow Shower Shoot Lock. Sora joined her and fired his Ragnarok Ultima Shoot Lock. Both of the shoot locks caused the X-Blade to stagger before it started stomping its feet, creating shockwaves that knocked Sora and Aqua onto their backs. The sheer force of the shockwaves even caused Dawn's bell tower to collapse. Now the entire castle was in ruins.

"I thought you said this thing was becoming more unstable!" Sora shouted as he and Aqua quickly climbed to their feet but quickly had to jump clear when a powerful beam of blue energy was fired down at them from the X-Blade's mouth.

"It is! It can't control its changes! Didn't you see how easily it fell over a moment ago? It's trying to adjust to its new size and strength!" Aqua replied, causing Sora to furrow his brow curiously although you couldn't tell because of his helmet.

"How do you know this, Aqua?-YIKES!" Sora yelped as he and Aqua had to quickly throw up Reflega spheres to deflect a sudden rain of purple colored arrows of energy that the X-Blade made by simply shaking its head, letting an odd glowing purple spittle to form into the arrows.

"I just do! Trust me!" Aqua replied, although Sora was secretly suspicious now.

"_Vanitas is supposed to be behind all of this…but we haven't seen him yet. Could he really…no, it's impossible!"_ Sora said mentally before quickly leaping up into the air to dodge another round of shockwaves from the X-Blade's stomping. Suddenly the X-Blade started glowing again, the symbol for Kai appearing in front of its chest but this time with Oathkeeper. The X-Blade grew a little bit larger and now the helmet was starting to crack. It was also apparent that the horns on either side of its head were physically attached to its head. The horns even started to sweep forward slightly. Sora spotted Oathkeeper and instantly realized what had happened.

"Oh no…poor Oblivion." Sora said in shock.

"Sora! Don't get distracted!" Aqua shouted as the X-Blade stretched out its hand and instantly a giant sword, the blade similar to the X-Blade itself but with a regular grip appeared in its hand. From the end of the grip was a long chain that was attached to the bracer.

"Uh-oh! Watch OUT!" Aqua shouted as the X-Blade brought the massive blade down towards them, creating a shockwave. Luckily the two managed to leap up into the air before the shockwave hit. The sword, coupled with the shockwave, demolished the entire outer wall of the castle. Even a large portion of the cliff walls that sat on either side of the castle collapsed.

"That was too close!" Sora exclaimed as he and Aqua both summoned their Keyblade Riders and flew up towards the X-Blade's head. Aqua started pelting it with Wing Arrows while Sora flew past and fired Firaga and Blizzaga spells at its face. The X-Blade roared angrily as it tried to swat the two Keyblade Masters from the sky. Sora came around for another attack but suddenly found himself caught in the X-Blade's left hand, held tightly in its grip.

"Ngh! AQUA!" Sora shouted as he tried to break free.

"HANG ON SORA!" Aqua replied as she flew in, firing Wing Arrows at the X-Blade's bracer but she had to fly clear as the X-Blade started charging another beam of blue energy and fired it towards her from its mouth. It then looked down at Sora with an angered expression.

"**WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO US?"** The X-Blade spoke in a booming and monstrous voice that still retained a semblance of the male and female unison voices.

"We're going to put a stop to you once and for all!" Sora exclaimed as he struggled in the X-Blade's grip.

"**WE THINK NOT!" **The X-Blade replied as it opened its mouth and started pulling Sora closer to it. Before Sora could even reach the teeth he felt the hand suddenly open and he started to fall free. The X-Blade roared in total agony as it started glowing again but with two symbols for Kai over its chest. Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade Rider and flew around towards the front, Aqua flying up next to him just as he stopped and turned around to see the Kai symbols. In the symbols were Oblivion and another Keyblade he didn't recognize.

"Which Keyblade is that?" Sora asked confused as Aqua's helmet vanished.

"It's Void Gear, Vanitas's Keyblade! He must have still been alive somehow!" Aqua replied as Sora's helmet disappeared, revealing a suspicious glare on his face aimed towards her.

"And how would you know this, Aqua? How do you know he was alive?" Sora asked as Aqua turned and gave him a look of disbelief.

"Because his Keyblade just appeared right there as one of the ones who died!" Aqua shouted. Sora was about to argue back but they were both disrupted by the X-Blade letting out a painful roar. Its horns were now fully swept forward, the wings were twice their original size, it now had four large arms instead of two, each one brandishing a massive sword, the eyes were now a single massive pair, and the helmet had shattered, revealing several smaller horns sticking out from the mane. It had also doubled in size, a single fist now almost the size of the castle's main hall.

"Oh boy!" Aqua whimpered as she looked up at the towering monster. Then they noticed, on its chest was a small single long beam of light emitting from the chest. Upon closer inspection, one could tell that the light was actually coming from within a keyhole on a grey mounted disk that rested in the dead center of its chest.

"This is it, Sora! Now's our chance!" Aqua shouted but just as she was about to move…

"No."

"What?" Aqua asked as she whipped back around.

"How do I know that you're not Vanitas? Defeating the X-Blade is exactly what Vanitas is waiting for! You could be him!" Sora exclaimed as Aqua gave him a look of total disbelief.

"Are you insane? Why would I be Vanitas's new host? Are you an idiot?" Aqua asked as Sora's eyes widened in surprise.

"Right there! Idiot! That's what Vanitas used to call Ven and that's what you just called me!" Sora yelled as Aqua glared at him in disbelief for a moment before grimacing and summoning her helmet. Sora braced himself for an attack but instead Aqua turned and flew straight at the X-Blade, intent on reaching the keyhole.

"Oh no you're not!" Sora shouted as he gave chase to her. They both had to another dodge a rain of purple arrows again as Aqua raced for the keyhole, not slowing down for anything.

"Aqua, you're not releasing Vanitas!" Sora shouted as he followed after her. Aqua glanced over her shoulder but didn't stop. She was getting closer to the keyhole.

"Don't be an idiot, Aqua! Don't let him loose!" Sora shouted after her. Suddenly he found himself smacked down towards the ground by broadside of one of the X-Blade's swords. Luckily his armor took most of the damage.

"I'm sorry Sora, but I have no choice." Aqua replied softly as she picked up speed and dismissed her Keyblade rider into its Keyblade form, aiming it at the Keyhole and allowing a glowing circle of aqua colored light to form around the tip before firing off the beam at the keyhole, the beam connecting with the keyhole, followed by the sound of a loud mechanical locking sound. (Music Cue: Beyond the Door – Kingdom Hearts OST) The X-Blade roared in pain and fury as a sudden wave of white energy spread out from the keyhole, consuming the creature's entire form, swords and all. The light enveloped X-Blade suddenly collapsed down on itself in a pile on top of what was left of the castle before it suddenly exploded in an expanding dome of crisp white-blue energy with enough force that Aqua had a hard time resisting the sheer force of the blast until finally she found herself pulled down towards it, disappearing inside the sphere as it continued expanding.

From the top of the mesa, Riku turned and saw the growing dome of light and his mouth fell open in shock. Without saying a word, he quickly leapt onto his Keyblade Rider, flying straight towards the dome.

Meanwhile Terra, Ven, Mickey, Snow, and Lightning each suddenly turned and looked towards the dome with stunned expressions.

"Looks like they won! I knew they could do it!" Snow cheered as Lightning and the others grimaced.

"No…the X-Blade's fallen. The fragments have been purged!" Terra said as he, Ven, and Mickey looked at each other as expressions of dread realization swept their faces. Without thinking, Terra and Ven summoned their Keyblade Riders, Mickey hopping onto Ven's back, before flying off.

"Hey! Where're you going? What about Kairi?" Snow shouted after them but was quickly subdued by a punch to the jaw by Lightning.

"Hey, what was that for?" He yelped as he cradled his jaw.

"We've got to get everyone as far away from here as we can, NOW!" Lightning ordered with a panicked expression as she mounted Odin.

"What? Why?" Snow asked, completely clueless.

"Just do it!" Lightning ordered as she rode away towards where the others were massing. Snow continued rubbing his jaw with a confused expression. He turned towards the sphere where Kairi was still trapped inside. He then turned towards where the dome of light now faded out, scratching the back of his neck, still with a confused expression. He didn't notice a crack appear on the sphere.

* * *

**Back at the Castle Ruins…**

Aqua groaned as she cracked open an eye with a groan. She had been pulled into the dome of energy and the rest had been a blur. She looked around and saw that the entire surface of where the castle once stood was now just a leveled cobblestone field. There were still a few odd bricks lying around that marked where certain things were, like the corners of the outer wall but that was it. There was only an eerie silence, now and the sky appeared to have gotten even darker. She groaned as she rolled over onto her chest and started to push herself up onto her feet. Her armor had vanished along with her Keyblade Rider.

"Ach!" She yelped as she felt her right arm suddenly start to hurt upon standing up. She quickly grasped it with her left hand before looking around. Finally she saw what she was looking for and gasped in shock.

"Sora!" She exclaimed as she started limping quickly towards him, her left ankle a little sore. Sora was lying face down on the ground, his armor having returned to his shoulder guard and his Keyblade nowhere in sight. She quickly cast Curaga on both herself and Sora, her arm and ankle healing instantly before she reached for Sora. She recoiled when she heard him groan a little and start moving. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him starting to climb to his feet.

"Sora, for a moment there I feared the worst." Aqua said as Sora turned towards her with one of his usual grins and a small chuckle, his eyes shut.

"You worry too much, Aqua." Sora said as Aqua started chuckling in relief.

"Yeah, I probably do. So are you convinced that I'm not Vanitas, now?" Aqua asked as she held up her Keyblade in both hands. It was still Mark of Mastery. Sora nodded with his arms crossed.

"Yep…I sure do." He replied. Aqua smiled with a sigh of relief.

"Good…Then I guess we should-UGACH!" Aqua gagged as she suddenly felt something grab her by throat, squeezing it tightly. She looked and saw a hand clutched around her neck but what really made her shake was the person the hand connected to.

"You always were a meddler, Aqua." Sora said as he opened his eyes, revealing a distinct shade of yellow. Aqua's eyes widened in horror as she realized who was actually standing before her.

"Van-…-i-…-tas!" she gasped as she tried to free herself but his grip was too strong. Sora, grinned darkly, his dark brown spiky hair turning itself black before her eyes.

"You always were a smart one too. At times a little too smart…but apparently, not smart enough." Sora said as he stretched his right hand out to the side.

"Oh but I must thank you for all that you've done for me. Were it not for you dealing the finishing blow on the Master just now…I wouldn't be able to have this." He said, as in a bright flash of light, appeared the one thing that Aqua hoped to never see again, especially in the hands of one of hers and her friends' greatest enemies…

…the X-Blade, within Vanitas's grasp.

* * *

**End Chapter 40.**

From this point on, it's only gonna be one chapter updates. Aren't I evil?

Side note: I actually had "Dismiss" from the Birth by Sleep soundtrack playing when I wrote the final battle scene between Sora, Riku, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Mickey, and Roxas against the Xehanort possessed Kairi in Reconnect: Kingdom Hearts. (I had a game ripped copy of the OST at the time) If you ever want to go back and re-read that battle with that track playing in the background, it should add a nice effect.


	41. The Second Darkness

(Optional BGM: The Key of Darkness – Birth by Sleep OST)  
Sora, or rather, Vanitas had Aqua by the throat in his left hand and the coveted X-Blade in his right. He was slowly increasing his grip around Aqua's neck, trying to slowly choke the life out of her. Aqua was struggling just to stay conscious as Vanitas kept her in his grasp.

"I'll bet you're probably wondering, how I came to reside in Sora's heart. Oh that is an interesting story. I actually have you to thank for a great deal of it." Vanitas said as a shocked expression swept Aqua's face.

"Oh yes. You. You see, three months ago, you trained Sora to become a Keyblade Master so as to free your beloved Ventus's heart. What you didn't account for, was that the idiot's heart, bled pure light into Sora's the stronger he got, eventually wiping out all of his inner darkness and making him the male equivalent of a Princess of Heart. Then you brought Sora to Castle Oblivion, taking him to the very place where my heart lay dormant within Ventus's body. I still possessed fragments of the X-Blade in my heart so when Ventus began the process of rejoining with his body, the fragments got purged. Then the idiot called upon Sora's own light to try and get rid of me. When he did that, I sensed an outstanding opportunity to reclaim the X-Blade and gain a stronger body than I ever had before." Vanitas explained, holding Aqua closer to his face. She could do nothing but try and stay conscious and stare at him with bared teeth as he continued his explanation.

"However, when I joined with Sora, I was too weak to overpower his Heart so I fell back, and made sure the connection wasn't complete so he didn't create the X-Blade. I had to buy myself some time to regain my strength. I needed…a second darkness as it were. Then Xehanort created the X-Blade before me and gave me the boost I needed. However, despite the boost, Xehanort made it impossible for me to recreate the X-Blade because of those accursed fragments despite his death!" Vanitas said with an angry snarl, briefly tightening his grip on Aqua.

"But then I felt it, the human embodiment of my Keyblade, Void Gear. I immediately realized all was not lost after all and gave him a set of special instructions by communicating using a D-Link when Sora wasn't paying attention. I really should thank you for showing him how to do that." Vanitas said as Aqua narrowed her eyes at him but he continued his explanation anyway.

"I learned about the Keyblades through him and I soon learned of their origins. I knew that if the X-Blade was to be re-forged, all thirteen of the lesser Keyblades plus the X-Blade had to be destroyed and to do that, I had to find a way to get you and the other Keyblade wielders involved. Did you know who it was who ordered the theft of the Destiny Island's heart? Little hint, it's the one holding the X-Blade right now." Vanitas said with a grin as he raised the X-Blade close to her head. Aqua managed a snarl before spitting in his face. Vanitas recoiled, dropping her before backhanding her with his off hand in retaliation. Aqua was on her back, coughing as air filled her lungs again but she now had the X-Blade pointed in her face and Vanitas with his left foot on her right arm.

"That was an unwise move. And here I was contemplating on whether or not to keep you as my pet." Vanitas chuckled menacingly.

"You monster! You've been manipulating Sora all along!" Aqua said with a snarl and as tears streamed down her face.

"Please, Sora is quite honestly the winner of the biggest sucker of the year award. He never knew I was even there inside his heart! I even managed to evade that Nobody and Replica of his too. However there was one occurrence recently that nearly ruined everything. He was battling a creature of darkness known as Exdeath and the idiot managed to get himself knocked unconscious. As a result he accidently looked inside his own heart. I had to act quickly and decided to play a subtle game of deception. I disguised myself as the, quote, embodiment of the light of his heart, end quote. He was so easily fooled and so were those two hapless nitwit Nobody and Replica of his. That performance made me want to gag though, ugh. You try wearing a stupid grin and acting nice all the time in front of a spiky brained Ventus-lookalike and a Replica with a gender orientation crisis." Vanitas groaned as he glanced away for a second.

"Then why wait three months to make a move when you could have acted much sooner?" Aqua asked as Vanitas rolled his eyes with a bored sigh as he knelt down on one knee next to her, keeping the X-Blade at her throat the whole time.

"Are you really that stupid? (Sigh) I guess you are. It took three months because that's how long it took to get thirteen stupid human form Keyblades in one room together at the same time! Those idiots were scattered across the worlds and slowly wandered their way here answering _the master's_ call." Vanitas explained, mocking the phrase "the master" as he spoke.

"Then how were we unable to tell you were there inside his heart the whole time." Aqua asked as Vanitas shrugged.

"Okay I'll admit, that one would be pretty tough for you guys to notice. But you see, as Ventus's heart bled light into Sora's it could be mistaken as his heart waking up. So when I slipped over to Sora's heart, it was assumed that his heart returned to normal and that I was dead. Quite a handy little quirk there, wouldn't you say?" Vanitas asked with a grin.

"You've got that right." A voice said from behind. Vanitas spun around just in time to catch a Dark Firaga in his left hand. It was Riku, armor active sans helmet.

"Oh look, Xehanort's old toy…or was it Ansem? Dah, I don't care anymore." Vanitas said with a dismissive wave as he absorbed the Dark Firaga.

"I should have known it would have been Sora that you decided to latch onto like a Parasite! I was just too blind to see it!" Riku said as he aimed his Keyblade at him. Aqua attempted to move but Vanitas inched the X-Blade closer to her throat.

"Would that explain why you don't wear a blindfold anymore? You can still be blind without one?" Vanitas mocked with a dark grin and a silent chuckle.

"Shut up!" Riku ordered through clinched teeth. Vanitas grinned and started glowing with purple-black energy.

"Do you really want to test me? I have the X-Blade, I have your friend Sora hostage as my host, I have access to his skills and powers, and I have this imbecile hostage! Do you really want to do this?" Vanitas asked challengingly.

"I said SHUT UP!" Riku shouted as his helmet formed on his head while he charged at Vanitas. With a single move, Vanitas had launched Aqua towards Riku like a ragdoll while performing an impressive back flip. Riku slid to a halt and was knocked over as Aqua crashed into him. Vanitas continued glowing with the black-purple energy as he watched the two climb off of each other. Aqua quickly summoned her armor and Keyblade.

"You know, given the way you landed on him…I'd give it a PG-13 rating." Vanitas said with an implying grin.

"Oh great, he's perverted too." Riku mumbled under his breath.

"Then let me give him the slap he deserves." Aqua replied.

"Save a piece for us too!" They all turned and saw Ven, Terra, and Mickey touching down nearby. Vanitas gave one of his trademark evil laughs. (Battle Music Cue: Enter the Darkness – Birth by Sleep OST)

"Ah we've nearly got the whole menagerie don't we? I can deal with that! I'm anxious to try out my new abilities and you five are just the perfect guinea pigs for them! Although do you have the guts to harm your dear friend Sora?" Vanitas asked as the five of them looked at each other hesitantly, causing Vanitas to laugh again.

"No? I thought not. But that just makes it easier for me to be rid of all of YOU!" Vanitas shouted before he cast a new spell, Dark Thundaga, causing blue lightning bolts to rain down all around him, the others quickly used reflect spells but they almost didn't hold. Riku and Terra charged first, leaping at him with a fierce blow but to their shock, Vanitas quickly blocked with another new spell, Dark Reflega, creating a sphere of black hexagonal tiles that released a powerful shockwave of dark energy, launching the two of them back.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that!" Vanitas laughed before quickly spinning and blocking an incoming attack from Ven.

"Well-well, if it isn't my old idiot! Just so you know, my new idiot is better!" Vanitas laughed as he shoved Ven away before hitting him with yet another new spell, Dark Aeroga, creating a small tornado of black winds to hurl him away. He then spotted Mickey charging towards him but Vanitas simply grinned and hurled yet another new spell, Dark Blizzaga, a large dagger shaped chunk of darkened ice, but much to his surprise, Mickey leapt over the spell, and brought his blade around in a vicious swing only for it to be blocked by the X-Blade.

"We're not letting you get away with this, Vanitas!" Mickey said, earning a laugh from Vanitas.

"We'll see about that!" He replied before launching the mouse king away with a single mighty swing. He then happened to see Aqua pointing his Keyblade at him and quickly threw up a Dark Reflega just as she fired off the Shiny Bloom shoot lock, spinning in place while firing off a barrage of bolts of light. The Dark Reflega sphere however withstood the attack. When it finally collapsed, Vanitas was mysteriously missing.

"Aqua BEHIND YOU!" Ven shouted. Aqua instinctively leapt forward just as Vanitas warped in overhead and landed where she once stood. Ven, Riku, and Mickey immediately charged towards him as Aqua and Terra fell back to prepare.

"I don't understand! How is he so powerful all of a sudden? It can't be just the X-Blade! Even Xehanort wasn't this powerful when he possessed Kairi!" Terra said as Aqua sighed in frustration.

"It's because he has Sora as his host! Sora's a Master and so Vanitas has access to all of his skill and power! Kairi hardly knew how to use her Keyblade back then! I'll wager that's why Xehanort wasn't as powerful." Aqua replied as they watched Ven, Riku, and Mickey get launched away by a single attack, another new spell called Dark Pulse. It was essentially the shockwave from Dark Reflega except without the Reflega. At this, Vanitas started laughing again.

"Ah, my tier one Command Style! Let's see what the Black Blitz can do!" Vanitas shouted as he became surrounded by another Dark Reflega sphere. Instantly, solid black clones of him started firing out from the dome, flying towards the others at an alarming rate. The clones would perform one attack before freezing in place and vanishing in a wisp of black smoke. The others had to quickly dodge or block the attacking clones as the barrage continued for several seconds. Finally the Dark Reflega sphere vanished, revealing Vanitas still underneath.

"Ah that was entertaining. I'd like to do it AGAIN!" Vanitas exclaimed as he dropped back into his battle stance. Just then he spotted Ven leap into the air with his Keyblade reared back for an attack.

"Am I supposed to be intimidated by this?" Vanitas asked as he cast Magnega, causing Ven to be yanked out of the air and into the swirling spell. Vanitas immediately launched towards him but noticed Terra had pulled out the Ultima Cannon. Vanitas quickly dodged the shot and spun back around with a Dark Firaga of his own. His Dark Firaga was twice the size Riku's was. Terra had to quickly slide out of the way as the Dark Firaga flew past him. Mickey and Aqua then charged in, Keyblades prepped. Mickey delivered one swing but was thrown away while Vanitas locked blades with Aqua.

"You know I still have an opening for a pet." Vanitas said with a sly grin as Aqua scowled angrily under her helmet. She suddenly cast Firaga Shield and actually delivered a successful blow on him.

"DAH! That's it! You are so not going to be my pet!" Vanitas growled angrily as he leapt up and started glowing with grey-black energy as he pointed his Keyblade quickly at each of the five warriors before him.

"Eat Chaos Snake!" Vanitas shouted as he fired a volley of spinning and coiling black bolts of energy. The others quickly tried to defend but it was too late, the Chaos Snakes impacted against them, knocking them to the ground. Only Mickey managed to escape the attack, leaving the others confused. Vanitas leapt at Ven in an effort to strike him down but Mickey intercepted, blocking with his Keyblade and coming around with a vicious kick to the head, staggering the X-Blade wielder.

"Ngh! That was a dirty trick!" Vanitas growled angrily. He quickly turned and locked blades with Riku.

"Before this battle's over, you're going to turn my friend's heart and body back over to him!" Riku said as he grit his teeth under his helmet.

"Or what?" Vanitas asked tauntingly before Riku leapt back with his Keyblade aimed at him. In a flash Riku unleashed his Dark Aura Shoot Lock, attacking lightning fast from different angles with a trail of dark energy behind him as he flew but much to his increasing surprise (and horror), Vanitas blocked every blow. On the last blow, Vanitas retaliated with a vicious swing that knocked him away.

"My TURN!" he shouted as he aimed the X-Blade at him before firing a massive blue-black beam of energy straight towards Riku. It was another shoot lock, Shadow Blade.

"Riku!" Aqua shouted as she quickly cast Reflega on Riku, the shield absorbing the damage for a while until the shield suddenly collapsed in an explosive burst of blue smoke amidst Vanitas's mocking laughter. Riku was blown into the nearby wall, his armor disappearing from the attack. Terra then leapt at Vanitas with a particularly vicious swing but Vanitas blocked and launched him away before casting Dark Thundaga at him again, but Terra blocked before charging again. Vanitas calmly cast Dark Pulse and knocked Terra away. Vanitas then sensed something behind him and in a split second flash of hazy black energy, disappeared just as Ventus took a swing at his head from behind. He didn't expect to be caught by the back of the head however. Vanitas held tightly onto the back of struggling boy's helmet as Aqua and Mickey quickly charged at him but he grinned as he pointed the X-Blade at the ground in front of him and quickly raised it up, causing an entire square chunk of earth to shoot up from the ground, smacking them hard before it stopped and sank back down into the ground. They both looked up and saw another large square chunk rise up before them like Xehanort had done eleven years ago. Finally Vanitas was towering over them on the chunk, Ven still struggling in his grasp.

"Now where have I seen this before? Oh right…eleven years ago. I believe it was Xehanort who did this!" Vanitas said as his arm suddenly glowed with a cold white aura. In an instant Ventus had been frozen solid in his armor, much to Aqua, Terra, Riku, and Mickey's horror. Vanitas grinned as he let go of the frozen Ven, allowing him to tumble helplessly down the side of the towering mesa, smashing the front of his helmet open as he fell. Aqua quickly raced forward and leapt up to keep him but the added weight of the armor and ice was too much and knocked her onto her back as they both slid away slightly from the mesa. Aqua quickly pulled him around to look at his stunned and frozen face. His eyes were still moving so he was still alive. Aqua then heard his voice groan via D-Link in her mind…

"_Not again."_

"Ven." Aqua said worriedly as she held onto him. Vanitas watched the spectacle with clear amusement before suddenly leaning back in time to dodge Terra as he flew up over the mesa via Keyblade Rider with Mickey on his back.

"VANITAS!" Terra shouted as he landed and charged towards him. Vanitas quickly locked blades with him as Mickey leapt over from Terra's back and cast a Blizzaga at point blank against Vanitas's chest, causing him to stagger backwards off the mesa. As he fell, he threw the X-Blade straight down and slammed his right fist against a black with red lined shoulder guard on his left shoulder. In a flash the X-Blade transformed into a massive pointed surf-board like Keyblade Rider with an elaborate fan-like design on the back that resembled the circular pattern on the blade but with the Kai character formed in a hole in the center of it. Vanitas had also become clad in a suit of black armor, similar in design to Ven and Sora's but with Vanitas's unique color scheme to it, including the white half skirt around his waist. The helmet however was the black dome with white thorny edges like Vanitas used to wear. The X-Blade Rider immediately spun around towards the mesa where Terra and Mickey still stood on top. Suddenly a beam of powerful purple-black energy fired from the tip, smashing through the lower area of the mesa causing it to start collapsing on itself. Terra tried to summon his Keyblade Rider but was quickly smacked head on by a Dark Thundaga spell, disorientating him enough that he tumbled down along with the collapsing mesa. Mickey was small and nimble enough to bounce through the falling debris and pull both him and the falling Terra free before they tumbled out onto the ground. Vanitas hovered down slowly before dismissing the X-Blade Rider and armor. He quickly blocked an attack from behind by Riku and hurled the older teenager helplessly across only to crash headfirst into Aqua's still armored chest. Riku quickly rolled off with his face quite red for obvious reasons.

"Don't-slap-me!-He-did-it!" Riku spluttered quickly, but luckily for him Aqua knew that already. Aqua quickly leapt up and charged at Vanitas but was knocked back by a quick Dark Pulse. Vanitas then laughed in amusement.

"As entertaining as this is, I do have a universe to control. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to end this rather abruptly." Vanitas said as he swept his Keyblade across in front of him. He then started to glow with a black-purple aura again as he started hovering into the air.

"Enjoy the sting of my last shoot lock, Black Fang!" Vanitas declared as a black aura suddenly appeared around all five of them. Instantly they all grunted in agony and fell to the ground in pain. Their strength and magic power had been sapped. (A/N: Think Sephiroth's Heartless Angel but with multiple affected targets…yeah, it's that bad). (End Battle Music.)

"Quite a bite to it huh? I imagine you're all wishing you had brought some potions, or ethers, or maybe even an elixir or two to counteract this. But alas, you didn't so now you're all left to my mercy." Vanitas chuckled as he started walking slowly towards them, dragging the tip of the X-Blade along behind him and creating sparks as it dragged along the ground. All the others could do was glare at him through pained expressions, completely helpless. Vanitas then came to a stop before the helpless Aqua and the still frozen Ventus.

"Now then…which of you do I finish off first? The idiot…or his girlfriend?" Vanitas asked as he pointed the tip of the X-Blade at each of them one at a time as if playing eeny-meany-miny-moe. (A/N: I have no idea if that's the right spelling or not…or if there even IS a right spelling for that). Vanitas suddenly paused with a curious expression on his face. He looked up and saw a twinkling light approaching in the distance. A dark grin then appeared on his face.

"Ah…I was wondering how long it would take for her to get free." Vanitas said as he turned away and dismissed the X-Blade before walking away a short distance. The others looked at each other in confusion until they saw a familiar Keyblade Rider fly in and disappear, revealing a feminine armored knight in white and gold armor with a crown on her helmet. The helmet then disappeared, revealing the red headed Princess of Heart underneath.

"Kairi!" Riku grunted in pain.

"Riku! What happened to yo-…by the worlds, what happened to you guys?" Kairi asked in shock and horror.

"Van-…-i-…tas!" Ven struggled to say. Kairi spun around to see what appeared to be Sora standing with his back turned towards her. He quickly spun around with a surprised expression.

"Kairi!" Vanitas exclaimed, but with Sora's friendly tone.

"Sora! You're alright!" Kairi exclaimed with a relieved smile, unaware of what her beloved had become. Sora threw open his arms as if to hug her. She started running towards him with the intent to hug him back but about halfway there, she sensed something that made her stop dead in her tracks. She sensed a wall of darkness emanating from Sora that was so powerful it was as if her heart had been hit by a truck.

"What's the matter, Kairi? Aren't you going to give your boyfriend and Master a hug?" "Sora" asked with a smile. Kairi's smile was replaced by a confused expression. She could tell there was something different about him but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Sora, there's something different about you." Kairi said as "Sora" shrugged innocently.

"My Haori might not be straight. I did just defeat Vanitas after all." He said but Kairi furrowed her brow suspiciously.

"For some reason…I don't believe you." Kairi said as "Sora" looked around with an innocent smile and shrug.

"What's not to believe? Have I ever lied to you Kairi?" He asked as Kairi looked down slightly in thought.

"No…but something doesn't feel right." Kairi said before she heard the sound of someone grunting. She turned and saw Riku literally crawling on the ground towards her, with all his remaining strength, only to collapse and point at Sora with an angry expression.

"Van-…-i-…tas!" he grunted. Kairi's eyes widened in horrified realization before she quickly spun and blocked a Dark Firaga intended for Riku with her Keyblade.

"You talk too much, Riku." Vanitas said with a scowl as he summoned the X-Blade again.

"Sora?" Kairi asked in shock and horror but Vanitas chuckled.

"Not anymore, I'm afraid. I must confess, I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. It's time to say goodbye to Princess KAIRI!"

* * *

**End Chapter 41.**

That's right; Vanitas was the embodiment of Sora's Light in chapter 13. It's been the plan from the beginning that Vanitas would be hiding in Sora's Heart. You're probably wondering though, "why Sora?" My answer is, "Why not?" He's supposed to look and sound like Sora and even his battle music from Birth by Sleep (Enter the Darkness & Unbreakable Chains) has Sora's motif from Kingdom Hearts 2 hidden in it if you listen closely. It's more noticeable in Unbreakable Chains which is slower than Enter the Darkness.


	42. Light vs Darkness

(Optional BGM: Forgotten Challenge – Re: Chain of Memories OST)  
Kairi was shocked at what she was seeing. Around her were the injured and powerless forms of her friends. Aqua was partially pinned under Ven's frozen form but still crippled from Vanitas's Black Fang Shoot Lock. Terra lay on his back with Mickey flopped over his stomach, both of them also crippled from the shoot lock. Riku lay on his stomach between them, snarling angrily at what stood before the young Princess of Heart. Before her stood a possessed Sora, under the control of Vanitas, holding the X-Blade in his hands.

"Sora?" she asked in shock and horror but Vanitas chuckled.

"Not anymore, I'm afraid. I must confess, I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. It's time to say goodbye to Princess KAIRI!" Vanitas said as he dropped into his battle stance but Kairi stood her ground.

"Vanitas? But…how?" Kairi asked in shock, a tear running down her cheek. Vanitas groaned whilst rolling his eyes.

"Must I repeat everything for you? Actually, you know what; you're just going to have to remain in the dark on this one. Kinda ironic when you consider where you're going." Vanitas said with a dark grin. Kairi straightened up, a serious expression on her face despite the tears that continued flowing.

"Then let me ask something, Vanitas. Why did you order your old Keyblade to trap me in the Corridors of Darkness?" Kairi asked as Vanitas's grin widened.

"You are the one I've been waiting for this whole time. I had Void Gear trap you in the Corridors of Darkness so as to keep you away so that I could have the time I needed to make sure these five idiots were out of the way. I intend on finishing you off first and forcing the five of them to watch as their precious Princess of Heart perishes before their very eyes. But they're not the only ones that'll be watching." Vanitas said as the others gave him confused looks but Kairi knew who he was talking about.

"You intend for Sora to see this happening!" Kairi exclaimed as Vanitas gave one of his trademark evil laughs.

"Right you are. It seems that you've got some brains after all. When Sora sees you fall before my might, he will succumb to the darkness and then I, Vanitas, will RULE **ALL!**" Vanitas declared with another evil laugh.

"So you saved me specifically so that Sora could watch me die?" Kairi asked as Vanitas nodded while another purple-black aura appeared around him. Slowly, Sora's clothes began to morph into Vanitas's own skintight body suit, complete with the silver thorn like rims to his helmet. (A/N: Think his regular Birth by Sleep appearance only unmasked)

"That's correct, Princess. Once you're out of the way, there'll be nothing to stop me from plunging the worlds into this, a Second Darkness!" Vanitas declared with yet another evil laugh. However this laugh was interrupted by a Holy spell to the face, that knocked him onto his back.

"Wow! She actually got a hit on that jerk!" Terra exclaimed though instantly regretted it as his sides ached from the Black Fang Shoot Lock. (Battle Music Cue: Unbreakable Chains – Birth by Sleep OST) Vanitas sat up with an angry snarl on his face straight towards Kairi. She stood with her Keyblade pointed straight at him.

"Sora, I know you're in there…so please forgive me for what I'm about to do to you." Kairi said before her helmet formed on her head. Vanitas leapt to his feet in his battle stance.

"Cry all you want, all of you are DONE FOR!" Vanitas shouted angrily. Instantly the two charged at each other.

"I'll make THIS **QUICK!**" Vanitas shouted with a grin as he swung for Kairi's head but miraculously she blocked the blow. An angry snarl swept Vanitas's face, coupled with a curiously surprised glance towards the locked blades. Kairi's expression was hidden due to her helmet. He immediately leapt back and fired a Dark Blizzaga towards her but she swung her Keyblade vertically and sliced through the dagger shaped chunk of ice, cleaving it in two down the center, leaving her unharmed. She then charged forward and swung at him, but he vanished in a hazy dissolve of black energy. She quickly spun around and blocked an attempted attack from above, their blades causing a brief shockwave upon impact with each other. Vanitas's snarl grew wider before he leapt over her and spun around for another attack but once again she blocked the blow.

"Wha-…what's going on?" Riku asked as he crawled closer to Aqua.

"I'm…not sure." Aqua replied as they watched Kairi and Vanitas continue to exchange blows. Vanitas leapt back and immediately aimed the X-Blade at her, his snarl turning into a grin.

"This'll stop you! Black Fang!" He shouted but Kairi rammed into him just seconds before the Shoot Lock fired off. Kairi yelped in pain as she staggered backwards, falling onto one knee while facing away from Vanitas.

"Oh-no, KAIRI!" Aqua exclaimed before clutching her side. Vanitas laughed triumphantly as he approached Kairi's pained form, her helmet vanishing.

"It's over, Princess. You…ARE…**FINISHED!**" Vanitas exclaimed as he raised the X-Blade over her head. The others cringed and looked away, unable to watch.

CLANG! "Wh-HUH?" they heard Vanitas exclaim in shock. They looked and saw Kairi had blocked his attack with her Keyblade.

"H-h-how did you-?" Vanitas asked before he heard a strange sound. He looked on the ground and saw a small spherical glass bottle wobbling slightly as if having been dropped. His eyes widened as he recognized the bottle. It was a Mega-Elixir bottle and it was empty. Vanitas looked back at Kairi and happened to see a small trickle of a glowing orange-yellow substance running down the corner of her mouth.

"Sorry about stealing the Mega-Elixir, Sora. But you kinda left me without much choice. I'll pay you back for it later." Kairi said as Vanitas's stunned expression was replaced with anger again.

"GRRR! Why-you-LITTLE-!" Vanitas roared before shoving her back and aiming at her with the X-Blade, causing a black-grey aura to appear around him.

"Time for you to eat Chaos Snake!" Vanitas shouted before firing off a volley of the black-grey snakes of darkness. Kairi quickly summoned a Reflect shield, allowing each of the Chaos Snakes to impact against the shield, causing the shield to turn less and less transparent with every impact until finally it was solid white, Kairi being completely hidden by the sphere. With the last shots of the Shoot Lock fired, Vanitas grinned at the sphere until it dissipated, revealing Kairi standing with a pure white aura around her and floating slightly off the ground. Vanitas arched a curious eyebrow.

"Alright, what's this?" He asked.

"It's called, Rising Sun!" Kairi replied as her helmet reformed on her head before she charged towards Vanitas at high speed and fired off a wave of five Holy spheres. The Spheres crashed into Vanitas, sticking to him as Kairi fired off even more Holy spheres.

"How did she enter her Command Style without charging it up first?" A slowly thawing Ven asked.

"Three words, Ven. Princess of Heart." Aqua replied with a weak smile. Ven immediately caught on just as a glowing heart insignia appeared behind Kairi, causing the Holy spheres to explode simultaneously in a pillar of light.

"Way to go, girl!" Aqua shouted before cringing in pain. However, the other's relief was short-lived as Vanitas's familiar evil laughter could be heard from within the dissipating pillar of light, revealing a Dark Reflega sphere underneath. Suddenly Kairi had to start evading solid black Vanitas-clones as they performed an attack before freezing in place and dissipating in a cloud of smoke. Finally the clones stopped, giving Kairi a chance to catch her breath. She looked up and saw the sphere dissipating to reveal an unscathed Vanitas, glowing with a Black-yellow aura that rose from his back and shoulders.

"You're not the only one who can activate their Command Styles at will. You can thank the power of the X-Blade for that little bonus. Now you will have to deal with a tier two I got from my old idiot! Night Blade!" Vanitas declared before six solid black swords that started floating around him like Ven's Wing Blade Command Style only instead the swords looked almost exactly like Riku's old Soul Eater sword. Vanitas grinned as he launched himself towards Kairi, the blades easily within reach. Kairi started dodging and parrying his attacks, dodging when he attacked with both blades or jumping when he threw both blades at her. Finally she dodged one attack before swinging upwards and smacking Vanitas square on the jaw, knocking him onto his back before he could use the finisher. The blades then disappeared in small wisps of black smoke. Vanitas then groaned in frustration.

"You are really starting to get on my nerves!" Vanitas spat with an angered snarl.

"I'm not going to let you use Sora to commit evil, Vanitas. I will stop you." Kairi replied, holding her Keyblade ready in her battle stance as Vanitas snarled again.

"Fine then, if you're going to be that way, let's just see how you handle THIS!" Vanitas roared as he leapt at her, firing Dark Firaga blasts but she stood perfectly still, the blasts completely missing her. Upon closer inspection, you could see Vanitas fire the blasts straight at her but once they got within a relatively close proximity to her, they'd suddenly change trajectory and miss. Vanitas was dumbfounded.

"How are you doing that?" He asked as Kairi's helmet vanished again.

"You've forgotten one very important thing, Vanitas. I'm a Princess of Heart. Darkness can't survive around me because of the light within my heart." Kairi replied, earning a growl of frustration from Vanitas as he attempted to cast Dark Thundaga but the lightning harmlessly impacted on what seemed to be an invisible spherical shield around her. He tried casting Dark Aeroga but the black tornado had no effect on her, dissipating almost instantly. He tried Dark Pulse but the black shockwave merely died off before it even reached her. Now she was walking towards him, and he was getting desperate. He tried Magnega but she remained unaffected by it and continued walking calmly towards him with a look of determination on her face. Finally Vanitas growled and leapt back away from her, conjuring the black sphere again as he activated the Black Blitz Command Style again. Kairi's eyes widened and her helmet reappeared before she started evading the black Vanitas-Clones and their attacks again. About midway through, Vanitas's laughter could be heard again before the sphere disappeared, revealing a solid black aura around him.

"Now how about one from your beloved Sora's list of abilities? It's a play on his own tier two unique Command Style. This one is called, Darkness of the Heart!" Vanitas laughed as he charged towards her, darkness streaming off behind him as he ran with the X-Blade in hand. Kairi quickly activated her Rising Sun Command Style and started dodging or parrying his blows, neither getting the upper hand. He then swung the X-Blade across in front of him, double-casting Dark Firaga and Dark Blizzaga but Kairi countered by firing two Holy shots that intercepted the spells. Vanitas then leapt into the air with an evil laugh as a purple glowing Unversed symbol appeared behind him and he pointed the X-Blade at her before firing off a massive beam of purple-black energy towards Kairi but she stood her ground and threw up a Reflect shield that turned solid white once again, dissipating the beam in all directions but not hitting the five injured warriors. With his Command Style's abilities expended, Vanitas dropped back down with a dark glare. The reflect sphere vanished, revealing Kairi now helmetless but now with long flowing hair that was white as snow. There was also a bright crisp white aura about her that caused the others to squint slightly.

"What is that?" Terra asked but Aqua knew the answer.

"It's her tier two unique Command Style." She said with a proud smile.

"Eternal Sun!" Kairi declared as she raised her Keyblade which had become solid white and had taken the form of the dream sword (A/N: If you don't know what that is, just look it up on the Kingdom Hearts wiki page.). Instantly she launched forward, forcing Vanitas onto the defensive as she delivered lightning fast swings with the blade, one of them delivering a small knick to Vanitas's right cheek.

"Rick-em-rack-em-roll-em-rake! Stick-that-sword-into-that-snake!" Mickey cheered before grunting in pain.

"You stay out of this!" Vanitas hissed as he kept dodging attacks from Kairi.

"Vanitas-Vanitas, he's our man, if he can't do it, GREAT!" Terra yelled with a grin, despite the pain. Vanitas quickly leapt into the air and raised the X-Blade upward, creating a pillar of rock beneath his feet, catapulting him upwards. Kairi remained undeterred and started literally running up the side of the pillar. Vanitas snarled and charged down the side at her. Kairi then hurled her sword up at him, immediately summoning a second one to her hand but Vanitas leapt clear of the blade the two of them passing each other near the top, both turning to look each other in the face as they passed like time had slowed down. Kairi still had her determined expression while Vanitas had an annoyed glare on his face. Kairi immediately leapt backwards and chased after him as the pillar sank back into the ground. She caught up with him and they both locked blades in midair, creating a cloud of dust upon impact. Suddenly the dust vanished in a swirling whirlwind as the glow around Kairi intensified and she raised her sword into the air, causing it to transform into the Ultima-Weapon Keyblade (A/N: While there have been several Ultima Weapon incarnations in the franchise history, I'm envisioning the KH1 version). Vanitas blinked in disbelief before Kairi aimed the Ultima Weapon at him, causing three spiraling trails of light to appear at the grip and wind their way around the blade towards the tip before converging over it. She then pointed the blade into the air and allowed a beam of pure white energy to shoot straight up into the sky, causing a large hole to open up in the sky revealing a strikingly familiar heart shaped moon.

"Kingdom Hearts!" Riku muttered in shock. He wasn't alone in his shock; Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Mickey were all equally surprised. Vanitas stared up in disbelief before, in a flash of light; the Door to Kingdom Hearts appeared in the air. Kairi quickly aimed the Keyblade towards the door but was stunned when a beam of black-blue energy hit the door first; the sound of a lock clicking shut echoing from it before the door disappeared, the clouds covered Kingdom Hearts back up, and Kairi's Command Style wore off. Her hair returned to normal and Ultima Weapon was replaced by Destiny's Embrace once again. She turned to see Vanitas standing with the X-Blade pointed towards where the door once floated. He then started laughing with clear amusement as he turned towards her. Kairi was in total shock and disbelief as she caught her breath. The others were cringing in disappointment.

"Did you forget who holds the power of Kingdom Hearts itself in his hands at the moment? You're as big an idiot as the rest of these other idiots!" Vanitas laughed with a grin. Then Kairi had an idea and aimed her Keyblade at Vanitas, causing him to quickly drop back into his battle stance. Instantly the Keyblade started glowing white before a sudden flurry of black chains launched themselves from the Keyblade towards Vanitas. The chains then disappeared into him as if by magic before Kairi charged again. She had used her Chain of Memories Shoot Lock. Vanitas remained in his battle stance as Kairi continued charging. Finally she reared the Keyblade back for a blow, Vanitas not reacting to the attack. The others were watching with hopeful expressions as she swung the Keyblade towards him (End Battle Music)…

CLANG!

Kairi blinked in surprise as she saw the X-Blade in the path of her attack. Vanitas simply grinned back at her before she leapt backwards away from him in surprise.

"Did you think that would work? I know what you tried to do. I felt you searching my memories and I know what you were looking for. You were looking for the one person that I could never harm. Well guess what, there's no one I won't cut down in order to hold onto the X-Blade." Vanitas said as Kairi stared at him with a shocked expression.

"But…it worked on Kuja and he wouldn't harm himself!" Kairi said as Vanitas laughed in amusement. He then allowed his left glove to retract like a vine, revealing his bare hand and arm. He then took the X-Blade and ran the edge of it along his arm, leaving a cut on it. Everyone's eyes widened at that, and they widened again even further when they saw the cut healing itself before their very eyes. They then noticed that the cut on his cheek was gone too.

"You see, I don't care how injured this body becomes. As long as I have the X-Blade, I can heal it as many times as I need to. There's nothing you can do to stop me. You could stab this body as many times or as deep as you wanted to and I'd still be able to heal it. You could even chop off my head and I'd still be able to heal myself! Face it! You've lost!" Vanitas declared as Kairi dropped to her knees, dropping her Keyblade in the process with an expression that showed no hope whatsoever.

"We're beaten." Riku grimaced as he let his head rest against the ground.

"If only we could get through to Sora…but there's no way to do that." Aqua said as she let herself lay completely down on her back on the ground, her legs still pinned under a still thawing Ven.

"It's hopeless." Terra sighed as he looked up at the cloud filled sky amidst the sound of thunder. Kairi and Mickey both lowered their heads in defeat as Vanitas stood triumphant.

"I'm beginning to wish my Heart was still a part of Sora's." Ven said with a sigh of defeat. However, when he said that, Kairi's eyes widened in startled realization.

"That's it." She whispered. Vanitas was basking in the vision of his enemy's defeat and was literally enjoying as looks of surrender swept over them.

"I never imagined that I'd see the day that you actually all gave up. It seems that I made the right decision in choosing my host body. Now then, since you're all in no position to stop me. I'm going to have some fun. Which world shall I send into darkness first? Destiny Islands? Land of Departure? Or Disney To-…" Vanitas said before a small drop of water landed on his nose. He glared up at the sky with an annoyed expression as it started raining. He pointed the X-Blade straight up and summoned only a partial Dark Reflega, just enough so it would act as a makeshift umbrella.

"I don't recall asking for rain this evening." He mumbled. Then he noticed something, the rain was no ordinary rain. It was a lightly glowing green colored rain. He then turned and saw Kairi starting to stand up, using her Keyblade to push herself up.

"Alright, what are you doing, Princess?" Vanitas asked in annoyance before Kairi turned towards him with the determined expression on her face again.

"Oh I see, the rain is your doing. Well a little rain isn't going to help you." Vanitas said as he pointed the X-Blade at her.

"Maybe not her, but it did wonders for us!" they heard Aqua say. Vanitas spun towards where the others were and saw all five of them starting to climb to their feet, their strength and energy fully restored.

"What? How did you-…?" Vanitas spluttered in disbelief before turning back towards Kairi.

"Now I get it!" he roared angrily.

"Great Gospel, one of her Shoot Locks. It might have a light acidic trait against her enemies but for her friends, it's as good as drinking a Mega-Elixir." Aqua said as she and the others reactivated her armor and summoned their Keyblades.

"It makes no difference how many of you there are! I can still take you all on!" Vanitas spat.

"Sora!" he heard Kairi shout. He turned and saw her holding her Keyblade pointed towards her chest in both hands.

"Hang in there, Sora! I'm coming for you!" Kairi shouted. He arched a confused eyebrow as she rammed the Keyblade into her chest, causing a shimmering white light to appear around where her Keyblade met her chest. Suddenly a wave of light swept over her body from her chest until she was fully enveloped in light, Keyblade and all. She suddenly compressed her entire self down into a small radiant white sphere that shot itself towards Vanitas's chest. He attempted to swing at it with the X-Blade but Riku leapt in and blocked the attack, allowing Kairi to fly towards and disappear into Vanitas's chest. Vanitas staggered backwards, staring at his chest with an expression of total confusion until finally he started chuckling. His chuckling evolved into laughter and his laughter evolved into an insane cackle.

"I have no idea what that was about, but I see that we're all up for round two!" Vanitas laughed as he saw all five of the Keyblade Wielders before him. He dropped into his battle stance and they did the same.

"Vanitas, as Apprentices and Masters of the Keyblade, we will stop you!" Aqua said but Vanitas grinned and placed a hand on his armor piece, summoning his armor sans helmet.

"You can try…you most certainly can try."

* * *

**End Chapter 42.**

The final round has just begun. Will Aqua, Ven, Terra, Riku, and Mickey be able to survive Vanitas's attacks this time? What is Kairi's plan? Will she succeed? Find out in the chapters to come.


	43. The Battle of Destiny Part 1

Revitalized, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Riku, and Mickey stood battle ready in the midst of the ongoing rain of Kairi's Great Gospel Shoot Lock. All of them had their armor active and their respective Keyblades ready for the attack. Vanitas stood in his armor, helmet inactive. They all charged together towards Vanitas before being knocked back by a Dark Pulse.

"Please, like you five are going to do any better than you did before. You all fell victim to my Black Fang shoot lock once, you will again." Vanitas said with a chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest but the others smirked back in response.

"As long as this rain continues, we're immune to your Black Fang shoot lock! Kairi left us that to make sure of that! You've lost that advantage!" Aqua replied as Vanitas scowled. He knew she was right. His scowl was soon replaced by a dark grin as his domed helmet formed over his head.

"That may be so…that just means what was going to be a quick and…relatively painless death will be slow and excruciating. In other words…more fun FOR **ME!**" Vanitas shouted before he instantly activated his Black Blitz Command Style, sending waves of his solid black clones to attack but the other five quickly started evading the clones. Some of them got hit but their injuries healed instantly thanks to the rain. When the sphere finally vanished, Vanitas stood with his helmet turned semi-transparent, allowing his grinning face to be seen. He was surrounded by a black-green aura. He immediately started laughing.

"So if the rain's going to be a problem, then let's remove it as a factor!" Vanitas said as he raised the X-Blade which had the same aura around it. He then reared back the X-Blade and hurled it straight up into the air, causing it to disappear into the clouds with a clap of thunder. Vanitas grinned before kneeling down and with a single leap, disappeared after it. (Battle Music Cue: Night of Tragedy – Birth by Sleep Final Mix OST)

They all looked up at where Vanitas had disappeared only to see something big forming in the clouds during the occasional flash of lightning. All they could tell was that it had a long neck, massive wings, and a similarly long tail. Suddenly what looked like a large chunk of the clouds started moving down towards them until finally the clouds parted, revealing a giant mechanical looking dragon, twice the size of Xemnas's own mechanical dragon only made of silver and gold fixtures, and with shining blue eyes. On the forehead of the dragon was a long horn that looked like blade section of the X-Blade attached to a large symbol for Kai. Dangling from the tail on a large chain was an enlarged version of the X-Blade's keychain. The wings all had the symbol for Kai all through them. Controlling it from a throne on the back of its head was Vanitas. The giant dragon opened its maw towards them as it hovered in the air, a bright blue glow appearing from within its mouth.

"Uh-oh, MOVE IT!" Aqua ordered as they summoned their Keyblade Riders, Mickey leaping onto Ven's back, before flying clear just as the dragon fired a massive ball of blue energy that nearly knocked them all off their Keyblade Riders had they not adjusted their course in time. They quickly pulled around and flew straight towards the massive dragon, being careful to avoid its wings as it started flying back into the clear blue sky again, moving high over the clouds. Aqua flew at it head on, firing a barrage of Wing Arrows and narrowly dodging its maw as it tried to snap at her. She passed Ven, Mickey, and Riku as they flew up the spine towards the head, dismissing their Keyblade Riders in time to land in front of Vanitas on the throne.

"Vanitas!" Riku shouted as Vanitas scoffed.

"A trio of bugs on my windshield!" Vanitas said with a dismissive wave. Ven, Riku, and Mickey ran towards him but collided with an invisible barrier.

"Like I said…windshield!" Vanitas said with a menacing chuckle.

"What is this thing?" Ven asked as they struggled to maintain their balance on the dragon's head.

"It's called my Tier Two Command Style, idiot! It's called Bahamut-X!" Vanitas laughed before stomping down on the floor beneath his feet, sending the three flying as the dragon lurched its head back, catapulting them over its shoulder. (A/N: Pronunciation of the X in Bahamut-X is the same as in X-Blade. Essentially it's Bahamut-Key or Bahamut-Kai, depending on your preference…and yes the Bahamut is a nod to the reoccurring Final Fantasy summon. You could also use the Final Fantasy XIII version of Bahamut as a visual reference but with the aforementioned changes above).

Terra was flying up between the wings and nearly lost control when he had to dodge to avoid an airborne Ven, Mickey, and Riku. Terra quickly grabbed Mickey who climbed onto his back while Riku and Ven summoned their Keyblade Riders again. Aqua flew past them, still pelting the Bahamut-X with Wing Arrows before the giant beast vanished below the clouds.

"Did we get it?" Ven asked before the creature burst up from the clouds beneath them, its mouth opened ready to swallow them. They quickly veered clear of its mouth as it flew up and out of the world barrier, disappearing in a green pixilated burst before it soon reappeared flying upside down but with its long neck bent towards them as another glow appeared in its mouth.

"CLEAR OUT! CLEAR OUT!" Riku yelled as they scrambled to evade the resultant ball of energy before Bahamut-X flipped over in midair to continue its flight.

"How long can he keep that Command Style going?" Riku asked.

"With the X-Blade, there's no telling! But one thing's for sure, we've got to get him grounded!" Aqua replied before a number of small holes opened up on the Bahamut-X's back, allowing a single miniature X-Blade shaped missile to appear inside each of them. The missiles started firing sequentially, from the front working their way back, equaling ten missiles total. The four Keyblade Riders managed to dodge the missiles but…

"Uh-oh! They're coming back!" Mickey yelped as they looked over their shoulders to see that the missiles had turned around and were coming straight at them.

"Lose them!" Aqua shouted as they accelerated, flying towards Bahamut-X and flying towards its underbelly and wings. The missiles split off and gave pursuit. Aqua had four missiles after her and she turned and started flying straight towards the line of clouds below them. The second she disappeared, the missile's chased after her and also disappeared. She reappeared seconds later, flying straight towards Bahamut-X's underbelly with the missile's closing in. Before she could impact on Bahamut-X, she pulled up, causing the less maneuverable missiles to impact on Bahamut-X's stomach but not explode. Instead they disappeared in blue waves of energy. Terra had two on his tail and he flew towards the left wing, aiming straight for one of the X's in the wing's decorative design. His timing was perfect and he managed to slip through one of the X's while the missiles hit the wing, again disappearing in the blue wave of energy. Ven had two on his tail as well and he flew in low near Bahamut-X's spine, weaving in and out between countless sharp quills in a long row down the center of its back that led from the back of its head all the way down to the tail. The missiles were unable to maneuver fast enough and impacted on the quill's, disappearing in the blue waves of energy. Riku was making for the head as fast as possible. As he flew over Vanitas's throne, he flew low and upside down, making sure that Vanitas looked up at him. When Vanitas did look up, Riku made his helmet disappear and gave him the Pinocchio hand (A/N: putting your thumb to your nose and opening your hand while wiggling your fingers.) before falling back with his helmet reformed.

"Is this supposed to be an indication of your level of maturity? Oh well, it's time for Bahamut-X's dinner…OPEN WIDE!" Vanitas yelled as Bahamut rolled onto its back in midair with its maw open and Riku mere inches from becoming its first meal when he quickly pulled up, overshooting Vanitas who watched him fly past curiously.

"What was that abo-…What in the-…CLOSE YOUR MOUTH FOOL!" Vanitas roared but it was too late as the missiles flew into the mouth and this time they exploded in a ball of blue flames. Bahamut-X roared in pain as it rolled back over while smoke poured from its mouth.

"Nice going Riku!" Aqua shouted as they regrouped and headed for the back of the head. They landed on top to see a semi-transparent purple hexagonal barrier flickering between them and Vanitas's throne. Vanitas crossed his arms and crossed his right leg over his left impatiently.

"So what's your plan now, oh almighty Warriors of Light?" Vanitas asked sarcastically.

"We finish you off!" Terra said as he charged towards him, swinging his Keyblade at the barrier, causing it to shatter like glass before continuing onward. Vanitas quickly gripped the arm rests of the throne and used it to thrust his entire body forward and plow both of his feet into Terra's chest, knocking him back towards the others.

"Oh-no-NO!-Terra-watch-WHERE-**YOU'RE-DAUGH!**" Ven yelped before the flailing Terra knocked all of them off of Bahamut-X's head. Vanitas was clearly amused as his cackling attested to.

"Sti-r-IKE!" Vanitas howled as he held his sides. Luckily for the five heroes, they managed to summon their Keyblade Riders in time.

"Nice going, Terra!" Aqua groaned.

"At least I was trying!" Terra muttered before they noticed the holes in Bahamut-X's back open up again and reveal more X-Blade Missiles.

"Oh man, not again!" Ven yelped as they all fell back and started trying to evade the missiles but one missile hit the bottom of Terra's Keyblade Rider, knocking Mickey off the back.

"MICKEY!" Terra shouted as the Mouse King plummeted down towards and disappeared into the line of clouds. He attempted to fly down after him but another missile prevented him from doing so, forcing him to evade.

"Oh man we lost the King! We've lost Mickey!" Riku groaned in disbelief as he struggled to evade the missile after him. Suddenly a steady stream of white bolts of light flew in and shot the missile's out of the air.

"What was that?" Aqua asked before a Kingdom Model Gummy Ship burst up from below the clouds. Riding on the nose and holding on for dear life was Mickey while inside the dome sat Donald and Goofy.

"Hang on your majesty!" Goofy shouted as they opened the dome allowing Mickey to scramble inside. Once he was inside the gummy ship, the hatch closed and Mickey turned to his two friends.

"Thanks for the rescue fellas now let's bring this thing down! Hope we brought plenty of firepower!" Mickey said as he took the controls. Donald and Goofy both nodded.

"We sure did your majesty!" Donald replied.

"Yep we got a lot more firepower!" Goofy said as the radio crackled to life.

"_Did someone say more firepower?"_ Cid's voice crackled through. Without warning, a salvo of missile's flew up from below the clouds and hit Bahamut-X's underbelly, exploding upon impact.

"What did that?" Ven asked in awe. Suddenly a massive Gummy Ship, about half the size of Bahamut-X burst out from below the clouds behind the creature, firing a continuous stream of bullets. Inside the gummy ship stood Cid Highwind at the controls.

"YEAH! This is what I've been waitin' for!" Cid said with a grin as Aqua's voice rang in over the speakers.

"_Cid! Where did you guys come from? What is that thing?"_ Aqua asked.

"Ha! She's a beaut'! My Shera, the latest model! I'll give you the grand tour after words but for now let's bring this flyin' hunk-a-junk down!" Cid replied with a grin before he started barking orders.

"Farron, Estheim, Tribal, Klauser! You guys get topside and make sure you've got those presents for our fly boys and fly girl out there! Strife, Firion, Squallblade, Villiers! Make sure those guns are a-spinnin' and are plenty full-a-rounds! Gainsborough, Farrell, Harvey, Lockhart! Check on the missile batteries, I don't want them runnin' dry on us! Branford, Shantotto, Kisaragi! I-…uh Yuffie?" Cid shouted only to hear the sound of Yuffie getting sick coming from nearby. Cid cringed and ran a hand down his face before shaking his head.

"Uh okay, Shantotto you check the engine! Branford...uh…get Yuffie off-a-my bridge if she's gonna get all motion sick on us!" Cid shouted. Outside, the combined fire of the Shera's missiles and gunfire along with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's Gummy Ship fire, plus the four Keyblade Riders casting Thundaga, Blizzaga and Firaga, while Lightning, Hope, Zidane, and Bartz supplied them with Ether cubes from the tip of the Shera to replenish their magic, was starting to take its toll on Bahamut-X. Finally Vanitas had had enough.

"Alright, you wanna play that way! EAT THIS!" Vanitas roared as Bahamut-X rolled back over, a glow appearing in its throat again.

"Cid! Mickey! WATCH OUT!" Ven shouted as Mickey, the Keyblade Riders, and the Shera, quickly veered out of the way before Bahamut-X fired a large blue sphere of energy before diving below the clouds.

"Uh-oh, where'd he go?" Riku asked. Suddenly a volley of X-Blade missile's flew up from below the clouds. The Keyblade Riders and Mickey's Gummy Ship managed to evade the missiles but the Shera took a beating as it was hit by five missiles in a row, causing the starboard engine to burst into flames. Bahamut-X burst back out of the clouds soon after. However the Shera was out of the game.

"_OH-DAG-NAB-IT! Sorry folks! I'm gonna have to set her down! Wish we could-a done more! Kick Vanitas's butt for us would'ja?"_ Cid shouted over the radio before the Shera started disappearing below the clouds, leaving a trail of smoke behind as it disappeared with Mickey chasing after them to try and help.

"Thanks for the help, guys! We can take it from here!" Aqua said as the Keyblade Riders flew towards Bahamut-X's head.

"Alright, let's hit this thing with everything we've got!" Terra said as they flew past the head and remained on track. Sitting on his throne, Vanitas cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Alright, I'll bite…heh-heh, I mean, I'll BITE!" Vanitas cackled. Bahamut-X's mouth opened wide, allowing the blue glow to appear in the throat as it started flying faster.

"TERRA!" Riku shouted as Terra flew in close, grabbed a hold of Riku's Keyblade Rider, dismissed his own, stood on the back of Riku's facing Bahamut-X, pulling out the Ultima Cannon, and aiming it right towards Bahamut-X's mouth.

"Say AHH!" Terra shouted before firing the Ultima Cannon straight into Bahamut-X's mouth. The result was a powerful explosion that stunned Bahamut-X and caused it to start plummeting below the clouds with a trail of smoke coming from in and around its mouth.

"That did it! Let's go finish him off!" Ven shouted as they flew down below the clouds in pursuit of the falling Bahamut-X. (End Battle Music) They followed the falling beast all the way to the crater it had made when it first fired the ball of energy. As they approached the now wrecked hulk, they saw it dissipating quickly in a Black-green aura. They touched down nearby and saw Vanitas on one knee, unarmored, with the X-Blade in hand, and catching his breath with his back turned to them.

"You're beaten, Vanitas. Surrender Sora's back to us, now!" Aqua ordered, their helmets gone, as they approached the kneeling teenager. They then heard him start to chuckle and his chuckle evolved once again to his usual evil laughter as he stood up and turned towards them.

"Do you idiots really think that I'm beaten? You might have beaten Bahamut-X, but he can be summoned again whenever I choose. And in case you've forgotten, I can heal any injury you inflict on me. That little explosion…nothing more than a light case of sunburn." Vanitas laughed as the four before him grimaced in frustration while retaking their battle stances.

"Oh and there's one more thing that you're forgetting…" Vanitas said as he leaned forward with a grin.

"I dare not ask." Terra mumbled. Vanitas raised his empty left hand upwards towards the sky but nothing happened. The four looked at each other worriedly and confused as Vanitas started chuckling again.

"It stopped raining." Vanitas said as all four of them widened their eyes in realization.

"And you know what that means right?" Vanitas asked as he started glowing with a Black-Purple aura again, preparing his Black Fang shoot lock and they had no elixirs, potions, or ethers on hand either. Vanitas laughed triumphantly as he reared back the X-Blade ready to strike them all down with a single spell when Ven, Riku, Terra, and Aqua each heard a single voice echo in their minds with one simple command…

"_Stand back!"_

* * *

**End Chapter 43.**

Heh-heh, what'll happen next? Well you'll find out in the next chapter.

The Shera is from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. If you need a visual, simply go look it up on the Final Fantasy Wiki.


	44. The Battle of Destiny Part 2

(Optional BGM: At Dusk, I will Think of You… - 358/2 Days OST)

Beneath a dark, star filled sky, illuminated by the light of a heart shaped moon overhead that reflected off the water's surface as it lapped against the shore, sat the Destiny Islands. However these weren't the real Destiny Islands. No these Destiny Islands represented a person's heart and not just anyone's heart. Kairi knew this as she found herself standing on the tall island with the sideways tree and wooden bridge. She was unarmored but her shoulder guard remained. She looked up in the sky and saw five stars shining brightly. She smiled up at these stars.

"Riku, Aqua, Ven, Terra, your highness…Hold on out there." She said before she turned and started walking across the plank bridge towards the main section of the play island. About halfway across the bridge she spotted something on the beach out of the corner of her eye. She paused as she turned to look. It was a person, a young boy, sitting with their knees up to their chest. She soon started to approach him, and as she did his features stood out more clearly. He was about four years old, spiky brown hair, a white t-shirt, red shorts with a maroon pocket on each leg, and brown sandals with yellow straps. Kairi smiled warmly. In her heart she knew who it was. She started to approach the youngster but paused again when she heard him crying. She continued approaching, smile still on her face.

"Hey…" she said sweetly, causing the boy to look up towards her with big blue eyes, "…what's wrong little guy?"

The boy sniffled before lowering his head back towards his knees.

"I'm all alone. There's no one here but me. And the big mean guy keeps making me do bad things to my friends." The boy replied as Kairi sat down to his left.

"Don't you have any other friends here?" Kairi asked as the boy put a finger to his chin in thought.

"I had two friends but they went to try and chase the mean guy away. They said they would come back but they didn't. They left me all alone." The boy cried into his knees.

"_Roxas and Xion…I hope they're okay."_ Kairi said mentally before returning her attention to the boy. He was still crying when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kairi smiling back at him warmly.

"I'll be your friend." She said as the boy gave her a hopeful look.

"Y-you will?" He asked as his tears started to dry. Kairi smiled and nodded.

"Of course I will." Kairi replied. The boy quickly dried his tears before giving her a familiar happy grin.

"I'm Kairi. What's your name?" she asked as the boy stood up.

"I'm Sora." He replied as the boy looked towards the sideways tree and he quickly ran around her before turning and tugging on her left arm.

"Come on, Kairi! We gotta seal the deal!" Sora said as Kairi giggled and allowed herself to be led back to the sideways tree. Once they were there, Sora tried to reach one of the Paopu fruit on it but he was too small to reach.

"Here, let me get that for you." She said as she pulled one of the fruit off the tree and handed it to him. He broke the fruit in half, one larger and one smaller. He then held the larger piece towards her but she took the smaller one from him with a smile. Sora looked up at her with a smile.

"You first." He said, earning a short giggle from Kairi.

"Yes, by all means, you first." A voice hauntingly similar to Sora's said. Kairi spun back towards the bridge to see Vanitas standing in the center of it, dragging an unconscious Roxas and Xion by the arms. Sora instantly yelped and moved around to hide behind Kairi. (Optional BGM: The Key of Darkness – Birth by Sleep OST)

"It's the mean guy again!" Sora whimpered fearfully.

"Don't worry Sora; everything's going to be alright." Kairi replied, not taking her eyes off of Vanitas who scowled at her in annoyance.

"Here I am, taking out the trash here, and what do I find. A lost bird. A little lost bird that never learned to fly." Vanitas said as he let go of the Nobody and Replica.

"I'm not here for you, Vanitas. I'm here to help Sora." Kairi replied as Vanitas scoffed in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Again with the whole Princess routine? Look I don't have time to mess with you, Princess. I have a universe to destroy and your meddling is taking time away from doing that so I would greatly appreciate it if you would just get OUT OF MY WAY!" Vanitas roared as he stretched out his hand and summoned the X-Blade. He didn't expect Kairi to start smiling.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face or I'll-!" Vanitas ordered as he brought the X-Blade around in front of him and froze. He saw why Kairi was smiling. The X-Blade was slowly falling apart, reverting to its incomplete form.

"W-wh-wha-what IS **THIS?**" Vanitas roared in disbelief. He then glared at Kairi in anger.

"YOU! You're doing this! Your mere presence has thrown off the balance of our hearts! Now there's two hearts of pure light and then there's me!" Vanitas growled.

"It doesn't matter how strong the Light or Darkness is at a given time, Vanitas. You say you want to plunge the worlds into Darkness but you don't realize how pointless that is. It would be as pointless as if I tried to bring nothing but everlasting light. There will always be Darkness, Vanitas and there will always be Light. Nothing you say or do can change that. Not even Kingdom Hearts can change that." Kairi said as Vanitas scowled at her with a cloud of darkness that started flowing up from around his feet. All around them the entire islands started fading away into darkness, revealing five towering pillars with stained glass windows on them like in the Station of Awakening. The central pillar was of a slumbering Sora. Branching off from it via four narrow stained glass walkways were pillars arranged in a square formation with images of a slumbering Roxas, Xion, Vanitas and Kairi all on them. Kairi found herself standing on the pillar with her, Roxas on his pillar, Xion on hers, Vanitas on his, and the young Sora on his. The pillars were arranged in the following format. Top left was Roxas, top right was Xion, center was Sora, bottom left was Vanitas and bottom right was Kairi.

"We'll just see about that!" Vanitas said as Kairi dropped into her battle stance, her Keyblade summoned.

"I'm going to make sure that you leave Sora's heart, Vanitas. And I'm going to make sure that the X-Blade disappears too!" Kairi said but Vanitas laughed one of his trademark laughs.

"The X-Blade is part of Sora's heart too, idiot. Defeating me is pointless as it will only cause your precious Sora to lose his heart too and I know you don't want that." Vanitas chuckled as Kairi glanced towards the young Sora who stood munching nervously on the Paopu fruit in his hands.

"Then its time I return a favor to him." Kairi said, causing Vanitas to look at her curiously.

"What are you babbling about now?" he asked.

"A year ago, Sora carried my heart within his own as he searched high and low for me. When he found me, he sacrificed his heart to bring me back. I've never thanked him for that and now, I think it's time to return the favor. I will defeat you, Vanitas, but I won't let Sora lose his heart. I'll hold onto it for him so that it'll never be lost." Kairi said as Vanitas scowled. (Battle Music Cue: Forze dell'Oscurita – Birth by Sleep Final Mix OST).

"We shall see about that." Vanitas growled as he dropped into his battle stance. Kairi also dropped into her battle stance before they charged at each other. Whenever their blades met, they would send off a shower of sparks, Vanitas delivering fierce attacks while Kairi parried and deflected. Suddenly Vanitas took a mean swing and knocked her Keyblade from her hand. She quickly leapt back, performing a series of elaborate back flips before landing back on her pillar.

"Kairi!" She heard a voice call. She turned and saw Xion starting to climb to her feet with Two Become One in her hands. She reared back the Keyblade, allowing it to glow with a grey aura.

"Catch!" Xion shouted before throwing the Keyblade at her. Kairi quickly charged towards it and caught it in midair before spinning around and blocking an attack from Vanitas. She instinctively shifted Two Become One to her left hand as she blocked an attack from Vanitas before stretching out her right hand. In a flash, Destiny's Embrace returned to her hand, causing Vanitas's eyes to widen.

"Two?" he growled. He glanced over to where Xion was once standing and saw she had vanished. She had given her strength to Kairi. He snarled before leaping back and charging towards her again with the X-Blade prepped. Before he reached her he vanished in a black haze. She quickly leapt forward just before he brought the X-Blade down where she once stood.

"Watch your back." Vanitas chuckled with a dark grin.

"Better yet, let me do it for you! CATCH!" they heard Roxas shout. Kairi turned and saw Oathkeeper and Oblivion flying towards her and suddenly freeze in midair over her back, floating as if by magic. Roxas had given Kairi his strength as well.

"Alright, we'll do this together!" Kairi said as she dropped into a stance mimicking Roxas's own with Destiny's Embrace in her right hand, Two Become One in her left, Oblivion over her right shoulder, and Oathkeeper over her left.

"Four Keyblades?" Vanitas yelled in disbelief. Kairi immediately shot forward, leaving a shockwave in the air behind her. All four Keyblades came together at once before she impacted into Vanitas, locking blades but Vanitas was still strong, shoving her back before spinning with renewed anger. The young Sora simply stood on his pillar, still nervously nibbling on the Paopu Fruit, watching the battle take place. Vanitas came around with a vicious swing that knocked Kairi into the air and would have done more damage had she not blocked with all four Keyblades. She landed on Roxas's pillar, Vanitas growling as he leapt over the central pillar towards her. He flew through the air with the X-Blade raised but she quickly blocked with the two blades in her hand, using Oathkeeper and Oblivion to deliver a vicious upper cut, knocking him back with a roar of pain. Kairi quickly leapt up to see Vanitas's infuriated face.

"You can't heal yourself here, can you?" Kairi asked with a smirk.

"Shut UP!" He replied before charging at her again but Kairi let go of the two Keyblades in her hands, allowing all four Keyblades to spin around her at high speed, slashing wildly at Vanitas before she caught Destiny's Embrace and Two Become One again. Vanitas however leapt back onto Sora's pillar and aimed the X-Blade at the defenseless youth.

"Another step and your boyfriend's heart is history!" Vanitas growled causing Kairi to pause in shock. Sora started nibbling on the Paopu fruit in his hands even faster, not noticing a strange glowing outline of him appear and grow larger. Kairi was watching this with a look of awe and wonder. Vanitas was looking at her expression curiously before he felt someone tap on his shoulder from behind. He turned only to get a punch to the face. Kairi's eyes widened as she saw that Sora had matured quickly in a mere matter of seconds. He wasn't fully back to his old self, actually a year younger. (A/N: His KH 1 look). He also had the Kingdom Key in hand.

"What?" Vanitas snarled before Sora brought his Keyblade around but Vanitas blocked just in the nick of time.

"I'm not going to let you harm Kairi, or anyone, that I care for anymore!" Sora said before pushing Vanitas back and taking another quick bite out of the Paopu fruit before pocketing it. Kairi's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

"_The Paopu fruit! So that's why he hasn't been able to stop Vanitas! His strength was sealed in the Paopu __fruit! And by eating it, his strength is freed!"_ Kairi said mentally as she watched Sora quickly charge at Vanitas, locking blades for a moment before they started exchanging blows. She then saw Sora take another big chunk out of the Paopu Fruit before pocketing it while still keeping his and Vanitas's blades locked in combat. Vanitas managed to push him back before quickly turning and blocking an attack from Kairi. She quickly directed Oathkeeper and Oblivion to take over in locking blades with him while she reached into her pocket and pulled out her piece of the Paopu fruit.

"Here! You take it!" Kairi said, handing Sora the fruit but he stared at it for a second before shaking his head.

"No, you eat it!" He replied as he took the last bite of his own piece of the Paopu fruit before charging towards Vanitas, ramming into him and knocking him onto Xion's pillar. Sora leapt after him, but when he landed he was now back to his usual form but lacking his armor piece and haori. (A/N: KH2 attire). When Vanitas stood up he snarled.

"What do I have to do to keep you OUT OF MY WAY?" Vanitas roared angrily before Sora took a swing at him.

"There's nothing you can do, Vanitas! We're not letting you win!" Sora replied as he spun around with a vicious swing before leaping back and sliding towards Kairi's pillar slightly.

"Give me strength!" Sora shouted as a red aura surrounded him. In a flash he had entered his Valor Drive Form with Two Become One in his off hand. Kairi looked and realized that all three of the Keyblades that Roxas and Xion had given her had returned to Sora. In the meantime, Sora flew towards Vanitas and started unloading a series of vicious swings at him. It was all Vanitas could do to block Sora's attacks. Vanitas quickly leapt backwards towards Roxas's pillar. Sora paused for a second before quickly being surrounded by a black and white aura. Kingdom Key and Two Become One instantly vanished, being replaced by Final Form and firing off a Blizzaga that was larger than normal. Vanitas quickly fired a Dark Firaga in retaliation and the two spells met in the center, exploding in a bright flash of light. Sora literally flew forward, Oathkeeper and Oblivion spinning around ready to strike. Vanitas charged towards him too, both of them exchanging blows before finally they leapt back. Vanitas growled as he prepared to charge again but was suddenly barraged with Holy spheres. Sora turned to see Kairi in her Rising Sun Command Style. She summoned the glowing heart of light behind her and the entire pillar beneath Vanitas seemed to be consumed in a pillar of light. Kairi quickly pulled out the other piece of the Paopu fruit again and was about to throw it before Sora quickly motioned not to.

"No! Don't give it to me!" Sora replied, confusing Kairi.

"Then who do I give it to?" She asked confused.

"Don't you understand, Kairi? I'm sharing a Paopu fruit with you! Don't you remember the legends?" Sora replied before quickly turning to block a purely enraged Vanitas's attack. Kairi held the piece in her hand, staring at it curiously as she recalled the legends she'd heard of the Paopu fruit.

"_If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."_ The legends had said. Her eyes lit up in realization. His drive, his will, his strength came not just from his heart, but from her too. She quickly looked inside the piece of fruit and saw that it was filled with light. Her light. Meanwhile Sora and Vanitas were still battling each other, now having made their way over to Vanitas's pillar. Finally Vanitas caused a burst of dark energy to erupt around him before swinging the X-Blade in a vicious upward swing. Sora moved to block but the second he did, Final Form wore off, Oathkeeper disappearing and Oblivion being replaced by Kingdom Key. Sora was knocked onto his back, perilously close to the edge of the pillar. Vanitas quickly raised the X-Blade over his head with an angry snarl.

"Now I'm going to bind your power again and THIS time, no one is going to STOP ME!" Vanitas roared. He was about to bring down the X-Blade when something unexpected happened…

* * *

**End Chapter 44.**

Up next, the exciting conclusion!


	45. Beyond the Door

Vanitas had Sora at his mercy with the X-Blade in hand and raised in preparation for a lethal blow. Sora quickly clinched his eyes shut as he moved to block just as Vanitas brought the X-Blade down towards him.

CLANG! "Huh? Wha-…No, it CANNOT BE!" Sora heard Vanitas yell. Vanitas turned and saw Kairi wiping her mouth, having just eaten the last of the Paopu fruit. He looked at his right hand in horror to see that the X-Blade was gone, and replaced by the Void Gear Keyblade. He started backing away in shock as he saw, clutched in Sora's hand, was the complete X-Blade. Around Sora's shoulders was his Master's haori.

"No! It's impossible!" Vanitas exclaimed in shock as he started backing away fearfully. Sora simply stood up, the X-Blade in hand, walking slowly towards Vanitas. Vanitas looked up towards Kairi and paled as he saw she had quickly jumped clear into her Eternal Sun Command Style and was staring at him with a knowing smirk.

"You were saying something about, no one stopping you?" Sora asked as Vanitas gulped hard.

"Oh, did I say that? Well you know, us guys of darkness usually have a dark sense of humor." Vanitas chuckled innocently before glancing over his shoulder to see Roxas and Xion approaching from behind, their Keyblades prepped the three of them forcing him towards the same edge that Sora was pinned down on just seconds ago.

"Vanitas, let me put this bluntly. Get out of my heart." Sora said but Vanitas nervously tugged at the collar of his body suit.

"Uh-well-normally-I'd-be-more-than-happy-to-but-you-see-there's-one-teeny-tiny-problem. You see, I can't." Vanitas said as Sora glanced over at Roxas and Xion who nodded silently. Sora then shrugged.

"Alright, then I guess I have no choice." Sora said as Roxas and Xion vanished into him. Vanitas sighed a breath of relief.

"Oh good. For a minute there I thought your compassion had gotten left behind or something. Hey-what-are-you-doing?" Vanitas asked as Sora grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close, the X-Blade held in a reversed grip and pointed straight down at the floor in Sora's hand.

"If you can't leave by choice, then I'll force you out." Sora replied as he raised the X-Blade. Vanitas gave him a suspicious glare.

"Despite the fact that if you do what I think you're about to do, both our hearts will be lost." Vanitas said as Sora glanced towards where Kairi stood.

"Maybe so…but I've got someone to catch me." Sora said with a smile. Vanitas then grinned.

"You know something, it just occurred to me. You might win this round, but as long as I survive, I'll just keep coming back again and again until I can reclaim the X-Blade and eventually, I will rule over all!" Vanitas said but Sora smiled.

"Well to quote you…we'll just see about that." Sora said before looking over his shoulder at Kairi.

"Are you ready, Kairi?" he asked.

"Ready, Sora!" She replied as she dropped into her battle stance. Sora then turned back to Vanitas whose eyes widened in shock.

"Vanitas…It's been nice knowin' ya." Sora said with a smile before he stabbed the X-Blade into the pillar, causing all but Kairi's pillar to shatter simultaneously in a shower of shattered multicolored glass. Sora quickly plowed both feet into Vanitas's chest, flying backwards towards Kairi as she stood on her pillar. She quickly leapt up and caught him just as Vanitas looked down at himself and saw that he was starting to disintegrate from the feet up.

"What, no-NO-**NO!**" He shouted in horror before he disappeared completely. Kairi then looked up towards the sky as a beam of light started to surround them.

"Stand back!" she said before the X-Blade crumbled in Sora's hand and the two of them vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Vanitas laughed triumphantly as he reared back the X-Blade ready to strike Ven, Riku, Terra, and Aqua all down with a single spell when each of the four heard Kairi's voice echo in their minds with one simple command…

"_Stand back!"_

Vanitas thrust the X-Blade forward only for it to shatter in his hands. He froze in stunned shock.

"What?" he asked, the other four equally stunned. Then they saw it, a bright glow appearing over his chest.

"I think we ought to stand back." Aqua said, not taking their eyes off of Sora as they quickly started moving backwards, away from Vanitas as long ribbons of white magic started streaming from within him, gathering in one spot, taking the form of a familiar young woman until finally the light magic dissipated, revealing Kairi, still in the Eternal Sun Command Style and holding Ultima Weapon. Vanitas suddenly fell onto his back, a black heart bursting free from his body. Suddenly, in a cloud of darkness, a semi-transparent Vanitas appeared over the heart with an angry snarl on his face.

"_You haven't seen the last of me, idiots! We will meet again! And it will be the __last__ time!"_ He roared angrily but Kairi aimed the Ultima Weapon towards him and fired off a massive beam of crisp white light. Vanitas quickly slid to the side, narrowly dodging it.

"_Ha! MISSED!"_ Vanitas laughed before he noticed that all five of the Keyblade Wielders before him were grinning up at him.

"GUESS AGAIN VANITAS!" Ven shouted as he pointed at something behind him. Vanitas quickly turned to see something that made his eyes widen in horror. The towering and slowly opening…

"The Door to KINGDOM **HEARTS!**" All five of them shouted in unison as the radiant and pure light of Kingdom Hearts shone through. Instantly Vanitas started convulsing with cries of pain and agony as bolts of electricity crackled all across his body. Suddenly, Terra realized something.

"No! Wait! The X-Blade Fragments!" Terra exclaimed. Kairi turned towards him with a smile.

"Already taken care of." She replied, a semi-transparent Sora appearing over her for a split second. They returned their attention to Vanitas as he continued convulsing until he finally threw back his head and let out one final scream of pain before his heart exploded in a powerful shockwave of darkness, nearly knocking everyone over before the force of the blast changed directions, pulling everyone towards it before again reversing directions and this time knocking everyone onto their backs before it dissipated. They all sat up and watched as the Door to Kingdom Hearts slowly closed themselves before vanishing in a radiant and blinding flash of light. When the light faded, Kairi's Command Style had worn off.

"Give our regards to Xehanort!" Riku shouted with a grin as he pumped his fist in the air. Ven and Terra fived each other and both started doing a break time. (A/N: That move you get in Birth by Sleep that gradually replenishes health while the character does something silly.) Aqua however looked at Kairi with a worried expression.

"Kairi, where's Sora?" she asked as she approached the young Princess of Heart. Kairi simply smiled up at her, a semi-transparent Sora appearing over her for a second before she turned and started approaching Sora's lifeless body that was still in Vanitas's clothes. She knelt down with her Keyblade summoned and proceeded to unlock her heart once again, allowing a small white heart to emerge from her chest and float down into Sora's body. His body suddenly was enveloped by a blinding white light that made everyone but Kairi cover their eyes. When the light faded, they looked and saw that Sora's clothes had returned and his regular hair color was back as well. He groaned slightly as he opened his familiar blue eyes.

"Kairi?" he whispered softly as Kairi took him by the hand, interlocking their fingers together.

"I'm here, Sora." She whispered back with a smile as a tear ran down her face.

"Thank you for holding on to me." He whispered, his body too exhausted from the toll it had taken due to Vanitas.

"I'll never let go, Sora. I'll never let go." She replied as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. (Music Cue: Sanctuary – Utada Hikaru)

"Can you stand?" Riku asked but Sora shook his head tiredly with a smile.

"Nope." He chuckled lightly as Riku and Ven moved in and started to pick him up.

"_.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I"_ (I need more affection than you know)

"Come on, Sora. Let's go home." Riku said as he and Ven carried him with his arms slung over their shoulders.

"Yeah…" Sora said with a yawn, "…home."

"_In you and I there's a new land.  
Angel's in flight.  
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,  
where fears and lies melt away.  
Music inside.  
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
What's left of me what's left of me now."_

In Radiant Garden, Merlin answered his front door to see Cloud with a package in hand. Merlin nodded, handing him some munny before taking the package and reading the card as being from Shantotto in Magician's Bayou. He cautiously opened the box, only for it to explode with pink paint, leaving an annoyed wizard in its wake.

"_I watch you fast asleep,  
all I fear means nothing"_

_"In you and I there's a new land._  
_Angels in flight._  
_.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I_  
_My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,_  
_where fears and lies melt away._  
_Music inside._  
_wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I_  
_What's left of me what's left of me now."_

Elsewhere in Radiant Garden, Yuffie was hiding around a corner, spying on Bartz, Cecil, and Firion as they had a conversation.

"_.snwod dna spu ynam oS (So many ups and downs)  
My heart's a battleground.  
.snoitome eurt deen I (I need true emotions)  
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
.snoitome eurt deen I"_

Yuffie was about to make a move when she suddenly thrust her hips forward as if startled. She whirled around to see Zidane with a suave yet cheesy grin on his face and his hand making a pinching motion. It was then that he experienced Yuffie's version of the pervert-punishing-slap-of-doom.

"_You show me how to see,  
that nothing is whole and nothing is broken."_

"_In you and I there's a new land.  
Angels in flight.  
.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah,  
where fears and lies melt away.  
Music inside.  
wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I  
What's left of me what's left of me now."_

Leon sat in Tifa's Inn in a corner booth as Cloud approached him and handed him a letter. Leon opened it, allowing pink heart with wings to float upwards from it, causing a stunned expression to sweep Leon's face as he watched it float up and disappear.

"_My fears, and lies,  
melt away."_

In Disney Town, Donald and Goofy stood with their arms crossed as they oversaw Pete in a prisoner outfit sweeping up trash off Main Street. Pete then stooped over to pick up a discarded ice cream stick before noticing a horse's rump to his immediate left. He looked towards the camera as if about to cry. The screen quickly faded to black…

"_.wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I"_

On the Destiny Islands, the Lightning, Snow, Serah, Hope, Vaan, Penelo, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka watched as six shooting stars flew towards the main island.

(End Music)

* * *

**End Chapter 45.**

One more chapter to go, keep reading!

Sanctuary is the property of Utada Hikaru.


	46. True to Your Heart

(Optional BGM: At Dusk I will think of You… - 358/2 Days OST)

"So, remind me again why you guys are all sleeping in my living room?" Sora asked as he lay on the pull-out sofa bed. He was in a white t-shirt and red boxers, although you couldn't see the boxers due to the sheets and blanket over him. Around him, Aqua, Riku, and Terra played rock-paper-scissors for the recliner, while Ven and Kairi rolled out four sleeping bags.

"You've just been through a long ordeal. Your heart and body's been through a lot lately so you need your rest. Besides, why miss an opportunity to stay in a world that's practically all beachfront for a few days?" Aqua asked as Riku rolled his eyes. Aqua was also wearing a white t-shirt with grey jogging pants.

"Ah there's the real reason." Riku groaned as he climbed into a yellow and white sleeping bag. He had on a white tank-top and black boxer shorts. Terra also wore a white tank-top but with black sweat pants with a white number one printed just over the left hip…he had won the recliner.

"It's not the only reason!" Aqua argued.

"We're all staying over so Sora isn't alone while his parents are on vacation." Kairi replied, making Terra raise an inquisitive finger.

"Wait, your parents have been on vacation this whole time so they don't even know about all that's happened?" He asked as Sora nervously tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"Well…that's kinda one of the reasons I'm not opposed to you guys staying here. It's so you can help me try and explain it to my parents." Sora said as Aqua chuckled.

"Don't worry, Sora. We'll back you up." She said but Terra raised the inquisitive finger again.

"So let me get this straight…you've been home alone for how long?" Terra asked.

"Not at all? My parents knew about the trip to the Land of Departure but they needed someone to watch the house…that's what Lightning was for." Sora said as he pointed towards the kitchen where Lightning sat with a mug of some unknown liquid substance that they were one hundred percent sure wasn't coffee. She simply had on a tan sweater with a neck that hung down off her left shoulder, revealing a black bra-strap. She also wore a pair of red flannel pajama pants.

"That…and to give me an excuse to escape from Snow and my sister's sickening lovey-dovey act for a while." Lightning replied, taking a sip from her mug.

"What is that stuff anyway?" Kairi asked as she peered over the table to look inside the mug. She wore a white nightgown that reminded everyone of Namine's dress, except it was floor length.

"That's classified." Lightning replied, taking another sip.

"Uh-huh. Speaking of classified, Sora what happened to the X-Blade fragments? Kairi said that they had been taken care of so what happened to them?" Aqua asked as Sora and Kairi exchanged knowing smiles.

"Put your hand on your chest. Ven, Riku, Terra, you guys too." Sora said as the four in question looked at each other and shrugged before putting their hands on their chests.

"Where your hands are right now, is where we hid the X-Blade fragments. We divided them up evenly between our hearts after making sure Vanitas didn't have any. The six of us hold the fragments in our hearts so if anyone tries to purge the fragments from us, they'll have a major fight on their hands." Sora explained.

"How did you keep the fragments away from Vanitas?" Ven asked. He wore almost the exact same thing as Sora except his boxers had a swirling wind pattern on them.

"For a while, Sora had control of the X-Blade and so he made sure that Vanitas was disconnected from it. He then chose to make it break up into six pieces and go to each of our hearts." Kairi explained.

"So that means…the whole fiasco with the Keyblades won't happen all over again?" Terra asked as Sora and Kairi nodded.

"Yep. Although a part of me does wish we could see them in human form again. At least one more time, perhaps." Kairi replied with a sigh. Sora silently managed to hide a knowing smile.

"Well you never know." Sora said, earning curious looks from the others.

"What does that mean?" Ven asked as Sora shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Good night." He replied before curling into the sofa-bed. The other five looked at one another wearily before shrugging and bedding down for the night. They were nearly all settled in when they heard Lightning cocking her gunblade's gun form. All eyes immediately turned towards her.

"Anyone tries anything resembling a practical joke on each other during the night. Be advised that I shoot to kill. If the joke is on me, then I'll make you all wish you had never been born." Lightning said coldly as she stood battle ready making all six of them pause in fear. After a while, all six of them were asleep. As she watched them sleep, Lightning swore she could sense a strange bond form between the six. She couldn't explain it but she figured it was something good.

* * *

**In their dreams…**

"Hey, how did we get here?" Ven asked as they looked around. They found themselves standing outside the castle of the Land of Departure at night albeit surrounded by a thick white mist. There appeared to be lights coming from within the castle too.

"And what's with these outfits?" Aqua asked confused. Their clothes had changed from their bedclothes, to eloquent and sophisticated outfits. Sora wore a black tuxedo suit with matching pants and a red carnation in his lapel. His tie had the emblem of his silver crown necklace stitched into it. Riku had a white silk shirt with black pants. His shirt had a ruffle at the collar and puffy sleeves. Terra wore a pinstriped jacket and pants with a tie shaped like his Keyblade. Ven wore an outfit similar to Sora only without the jacket. Kairi wore a pink ball gown and a small silver tiara with a heart shaped ruby in the center. Aqua wore a navy blue strapless dress with a split up the right side that stopped at the knees. She also wore white gloves that ran past the elbows and a beautiful necklace with three star shaped charms, blue in the center, yellow to the right, and brown to the left. She also had a pair of black knee-length heeled boots.

"No telling. So we might as well see what's going on in here." Sora said with a smile as he marched towards the front doors of the castle, earning curious looks from the others.

"Sora, do you have something to do with this?" Terra asked, causing Sora to pause.

"May-be." He replied before continuing on. As he reached the doors, they suddenly opened on their own, revealing two familiar figures.

"Welcome, Master Sora."

"Wait, Kingdom Key? Is that you?" Aqua asked surprised. The armored warrior smiled and nodded. He was in full uniform but his helmet was absent. Standing next to him was Des.

"Why yes Master Aqua. It really is us." Des replied as the others approached curiously.

"I-I don't understand. What's going on?" Kairi asked, confused.

"It was all, Master Sora's idea. While he possessed the X-Blade, he allowed us to regain our human forms for tonight so that we might be able to thank you." Light explained.

"Thank us for what?" Riku asked before Dawn landed behind him. His scars were gone and his eye patch and clawed gloves were gone too.

"To thank you for restoring us to our rightful forms. We never belonged apart from you, our chosen wielders. So please, enjoy tonight." Dawn replied as they looked at each other with smiles before shrugging and walking on inside. As they entered, they saw the entire main hall of the castle shimmered and sparkled in the light. The thrones were missing, replaced with a DJ in Organization XIII robes playing a slow dance. (Optional BGM: Eyes on Me "Instrumental" – Faye Wong, Final Fantasy VIII) Sora and Kairi spotted Roxas and Namine dancing in the center of the room. Roxas was in a white tuxedo suit and pants with a black and white checkered tie while Namine's usual white dress was long enough so it reached her ankles and she wore sky blue heels. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and shrugged before moving out onto the dance floor. Aqua and Ven watched as Light and Des joined Sora, Kairi, Roxas, and Namine on the dance floor. The two looked at each other before they shrugged and joined them as well. Riku and Terra looked at each other and walked over to the buffet where Wind stood stuffing his face. He wore a white shirt like Riku's but his pants were baggier. Ion lacked his hood and blindfold and was in a tuxedo like Sora's while Keep remained unchanged albeit sitting on his shoulders. They were still chained together. Xion was in a black reproduction of Namine's dress. Rain remained unchanged except with a glass of what appeared to be either champagne or ginger ale in hand while she stood next to Xion, watching the dancers. Terra was glancing around the room when he noticed something was missing.

"Hey, what happened to Earth Shaker?" Terra asked as Dawn swallowed a cheese cube.

"He wasn't invited. Neither was Beco or Mark." Dawn replied.

"Mark of Mastery? Why would he even be here in the first place?" Riku asked. Dawn smirked and pointed towards the DJ who pulled back his hood, revealing himself to be none other than…

"Master Eraqus?" Terra asked in awe as Riku blinked.

"That's Master Eraqus?" Riku asked as Terra nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. I keep forgetting his heart is with me now. I guess it's good to have a reminder like this now and again." Terra replied as Rain approached him.

"Um…I know this might seem a bit straight forward but…would you…like to…um…dance?" She asked nervously. Terra chuckled before setting down his plate and taking her by the hand, leading her out onto the dance floor.

"Ugh, love." Riku grumbled.

"-ach sho ba aba 'ove?" Wind asked with his mouth full.

"Say again, with your mouth empty this time." Dawn said in minor annoyance before Wind swallowed.

"I said, what's so bad about love?" Wind asked.

"Eh it just gets kinda lonely at times. No one likes being the third wheel." Riku replied, not noticing Xion spin her head around in his direction at the comment with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Mmm, sounds like you have it rough. I guess it must be hard watching your friends fall in love yet remain alone." Dawn said as Riku shrugged.

"I dunno. Sure I'll be lonely at times but hey…the right girl just hasn't come along yet. And until then…eh I guess I can put up with those two." Riku said with a smirk. Xion was now inching closer towards him.

"By the way, I know what you did." Dawn said, earning a confused look from Riku and a panicked look from Wind.

"It wasn't me I swear!" Wind said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with his name written on it and handing it to Dawn.

"I wasn't talking about you and…what is this?" Dawn asked, looking at the paper.

"It's my autograph. That should make things right." Wind said before Dawn scowled and pulled out a pistol, holding it like a hammer before bashing him in the head and knocking him out cold before holstering the gun.

"Where was I? Oh. I meant I know what you did for Aqua and Ven. And I know what you did for Sora and Kairi before that. It was very kind of you." Dawn replied as Riku sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…I believe in letting nature take its course and all but sometimes people just need a helping nudge…or in Sora's case, a shove, in the right direction." Riku said as Xion snuck under the buffet table so she could pounce on him from behind. Dawn then sighed.

"It seems some of your frustration has spread to me. This is starting to get old." Dawn said as he started walking around towards the DJ's stand.

"Where're you going?" Riku asked as he started following after him.

"To liven up this party." Dawn replied with a smile. Riku grinned as he followed after him, not noticing Xion pounce at where he was standing a moment ago but scowl in defeat.

"Rats." She grumbled…then she noticed the still unconscious Wind and devious smirk appeared on her face. Dawn in the meantime walked up to Eraqus and whispered something in his ear. Eraqus smiled and nodded before pressing a button, causing the music to quickly go from Faye Wong to Stevie Wonder causing the dancers to stop and direct their attention towards them. (Music Cue: True to your Heart – Disney's Mulan).

"Ladies and Gentlemen…and anything in between…" Dawn said as he looked squarely at Xion who scowled while dragging an unconscious Wind onto the dance floor.

"…this song goes to all of those with love in their hearts and is a friendly reminder from myself and Riku to always remain true to your hearts." Dawn said as he and Riku put on a pair of shades and grabbed a pair of microphones. The dancers started dancing to the music as Dawn and Riku stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed as if they were the blues brothers before Dawn started singing…

"_Baby, I knew at once that you were meant for me.  
Deep in my soul I know that I'm your destiny.  
Though you're unsure why fight the tide?  
Don't think so much, let your heart decide."_

Then Riku sang…

"_Baby, I see your future and it's tied to mine,  
I look in your eyes and see you searching for a sign.  
But you'll never fall till you let go.  
Don't be so scared of what you don't know."_

Then they both started singing…

"_True to your heart!  
You must be true to your heart!  
That's when the heavens will part,  
and baby, shower you with my love!  
Open your eyes,  
your heart can tell you no lies!  
And when you're true to your heart,  
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"_

"Come on, Ion, let's dance!" Keep said excitedly as she hopped up and down on Ion's shoulders.

"Alright, alright, here we go." Ion said with a brotherly smile as he set her down and they hurried to the dance floor. Sora and Kairi were dancing together along with Aqua and Ven, Light and Des, Terra and Rain, and Roxas and Namine. Xion was sort of dancing with the still unconscious Wind as Riku sang…

"_Someone ya know is on your side, can set you free.  
I can do that for you if you believe in me.  
Why second-guess what feels so right?  
Just trust your heart,  
and you'll see the light."_

Then Dawn sang…

"_True to your heart!  
You must be true to your heart!  
That's when the heavens will part,  
and baby, shower you with my love."_

And Riku continued…

"_Open your eyes!  
Your heart can tell you no lies!  
And when you're true to your heart,  
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"_

Then they both sang together…

"_You know it's true!  
Your heart knows what's good for you!  
Let your heart show you the way!  
You know it's true!  
It'll see you through!"_

"You know, Sora. This the first time we've ever danced together." Kairi said as Sora grinned with an innocent shrug.

"Well I thought we could all use a night where the whole Master and Apprentice thing didn't apply. I figured tonight would be as good as any." Sora replied as Kairi smiled and kissed him on the lips before they continued dancing while Riku sang…

"_Girl, my heart is driving me to where you are.  
Well you can take both hands off the wheel and still get far.  
Be swept away!"_

Then Dawn jumped in…

"_Enjoy the ride!  
You won't get lost…"_

Then they both sang, pumping their fists into the air on each word…

"_With your heart to guide you!"_

Then Riku pulled Xion onto the stage and Dawn pulled up Rain, dancing with them as they sang …

"_True to your heart!  
You must be true to your heart!  
That's when the heavens will part,  
and baby, shower you with my love!  
Open your eyes,  
your heart can tell you no lies!  
And when you're true to your heart,  
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"_

Eraqus put on a pair of shades as he joined in with Riku and Dawn while Terra took over the DJ role as they sang again…

"_True to your heart!  
You must be true to your heart!  
That's when the heavens will part,  
and baby, shower you with my love!  
Open your eyes,  
your heart can tell you no lies!  
And when you're true to your heart,  
I know it's gonna lead you straight to me!"_

Then Riku and Dawn sang in unison as Eraqus echoed… (Note: Eraqus is in Parenthesis)

"_When things are gettin' crazy, (Crazy)  
and you don't know where to start. (To Start)  
Keep on believin', baby! (Baby)  
Just be true to your heart!  
When all the worlds around you, ('round You)  
seem to fall apart! (Fall Apart)  
Keep on believin', baby, (Baby)  
just be true to your heart!"_

Then Riku and Dawn leapt down with Xion and Rain, repectively, into the group as Eraqus and Terra double teamed the DJ booth. Wind was now lying unconscious in a random corner of the room with a moustache and glasses drawn on his face in permanent marker, courtesy of Xion. In reality, the six were still snug in their beds; Riku occasionally mumbling odd statements that Lightning figured was just sleep talking.

"At least he's quieter than Snow." Lightning mumbled before she heard a thumping sound come from the roof. She looked up suspiciously as she cocked her gunblade's gun form. She ran upstairs and crawled out onto the covering over the front porch to look on the roof but saw nothing there.

"Probably just an animal." She mumbled before disappearing back into the house. As soon as she had gone back inside, a figure in a solid white version of the Organization XIII robes arose from behind the bushes in the yard across the street. The figure turned towards Sora's house where the Keyblade wielders slumbered peacefully.

"At long last, I've found you. You needn't worry, sister, your salvation is nigh." The figure said with a woman's voice towards the house before it turned away from the house with a lone yellow eye peering out from the shadows on the left side of the figure's hooded head. The figure then disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness, the peacefulness of the full moon above belying the dark clouds that were gathering beyond the horizon.

* * *

**The End…**

…**For now.**

The song above was "True to your Heart" from Disney's Mulan.

Well folks, that's it. The end of yet another Kingdom Hearts adventure and with another one in the near future. I would like to go ahead and thank you for reading this far and putting up with my occasionally infrequent updates. Hopefully you will enjoy the next story just as much, if not more than this one.

The next story will be, "Kingdom Hearts: The Forgotten Worlds." And it will be the last story in the Reconnect Kingdom Hearts trilogy.

So until next time, Keep R&Ring…

…and in the immortal words of Mickey Mouse…

"See ya real soon!"

Star Tours Traveler.


End file.
